According to The Telegraph, Brentford are in talks with SC Freiburg over a deal for Dutch goalkeeper Mark Flekken. Brentford’s current shot-stopper, David Raya, is expected to leave the West London club this summer, opening up options for Thomas Frank.
Mark Flekken has spent the last five seasons playing under Christian Streich at Freiburg. Last season the 29-year-old solidified his place as the clubs starting goalkeeper. He’s kept 12 clean sheets in 38 Bundesliga appearances this campaign. Over the last two seasons, Flekken has played a crucial role in an incredibly successful side. Last season Freiburg finished 6th in the table, and this season they’re currently 5th with three games remaining. They also topped their Europa League group before crashing out in the round of 16, losing 3-0 on aggregate to Juventus.
Flekken signed a new contract with Freiburg at the start of the season and is currently valued at around £10m. The former Roda JC academy graduate made his Netherlands national team debut last year, in a 4-2 friendly victory over Denmark. He has since featured four times for his country under Louis van Gaal.
Brentford manager Thomas Frank has had three options in goal this season. David Raya has been the Bees number one for the last four seasons, but he’s yet to sign a new contract with the club. Albanian international Thomas Strakosha is Brentford’s backup option. He’s only featured in cup games this season. 20-year-old Matthew Cox is the clubs third-choice goalkeeper. If David Raya does decide to leave the Gtech Community Stadium this summer, Dutch shot-stopper Mark Flekken could be a brilliant replacement.
