Brentford have confirmed talks are ongoing over the possibility of keeping Christian Eriksen at the club, as they announced the departures of four first-team players following the end of the Premier League season.
Defenders Julian Jeanvier and Zanka are both out of contract and the club have decided against taking up optional extensions, while goalkeepers Jonas Lossl and Alvaro Fernandez were both on loan in west London and will not see those moves made permanent.
Eriksen arrived on a free transfer in January following his release by Inter Milan and the Dane has had a superb impact, with Thomas Frank’s side winning seven of the ten league games in which he has started to comfortably secure another season in the top-flight.
The 30-year-old only agreed a short-term contract until the end of the campaign but Frank has long made clear his hope that the midfielder will extend his stay.
“It is no secret that we would love Christian to remain at Brentford for more seasons, and we will continue to discuss that possibility with him and his representatives,” said Brentford director of football Phil Giles.
Fernandez, on loan from Spanish side Deportivo Huesca, made 16 appearances for the Bees this season, the majority coming while No1 David Raya was out with a knee injury, but struggled and his performances in part prompted the January loan signing of former Huddersfield Town ‘keeper Lossl from Danish sister club FC Midtjylland, who made two league starts before losing his place upon Raya’s return.
Jeanvier, meanwhile, signed for Brentford in 2018 and was regular during his first two seasons in the Championship but has not played for the club in more than two years after suffering an ACL injury during a loan spell at Turkish side Kasimpasa in October 2020.
Zanka has had similar bad luck with injury, having made just ten appearances since signing for the club last September.
