Brentford have confirmed new striker Ivor Thiago will be sidelined for most of the rest of 2024 after suffering a nightmare meniscus injury on his debut.
The Brazilian was injured in Brentford's 5-2 friendly against AFC Wimbledon on July 20, and the Bees have now revealed he underwent surgery on Tuesday, and that he is expected to return "towards the end of the year".
Thiago only joined the club at the start of July from Club Brugge for £32m, a record fee for a player from Belgium's Pro League.
He netted 18 goals in 34 league games for Brugge last season and was named Europa Conference League young player of the season after scoring seven times on the continent.
His absence means Brentford will need Ivan Toney, whose contract is into its final year and had been expected to seek a move to a bigger club.
However serious interest is yet to emerge in the England international this summer and previous suitors including Chelsea and Arsenal have moved on to other, younger targets.
There are a number of teams who admire Toney, 28, but also prefer the idea of signing him on a free transfer next summer, especially in the context of Profitability and Sustainability Regulations (PSR) restrictions.
Committing a fee of around £70m for any player is now a considerable decision even for the richest clubs, given they must find a way of balancing the books.
It means clubs are likely to commit to such a fee only once in a transfer window, currently, unless they can sell another player for equivalent value.
Toney's situation – being a top talent in his prime, with just a year left on his contract, yet likely to stay at his club – is seemingly the product of the current economic landscape in the game.
When does the summer transfer window open and close?
The 2024 summer transfer window officially closes on August 30 at 11pm UK time in the Premier League and 11.30pm in Scotland.
The Premier League has brought forward Deadline Day to link up with the other major leagues in Europe. The closing dates were set following discussions with the leagues in England, Germany, Italy, Spain and France.