The Bees paid a reported club-record fee to sign the Mali international midfielder from Lens in the summer, after tracking his development from his early professional days with Liefering in Austria. Brentford had built a detailed assessment of his performances, strengths and areas for improvement long before completing the deal.
According to The Sun, club officials studied footage and data from Sangaré’s earliest appearances and presented the findings to the player and his representatives. The depth of the research reportedly surprised them, underlining that Brentford were evaluating not only what he could contribute on the pitch, but how he might adapt to life in England.
The club’s data-led model is closely associated with owner Matthew Benham and Smartodds, the sports statistics research company he founded. Director of football Phil Giles previously worked as head of quantitative research at the company, giving Brentford a direct link between analytical methods and their recruitment operation.
But the club did not stop at performance data. SunSport reported that Brentford contacted journalists in Mali to ask about Sangaré’s character, and sought views from former coaches and teammates. They wanted to understand how he responded to criticism, pressure and setbacks, and whether he would keep working for the team if he lost his place.
The checks reportedly extended beyond football. Brentford made enquiries with people at restaurants the midfielder regularly visited while he was in France, hoping to learn how he behaved in everyday settings.
Head coach Keith Andrews confirmed that Sangaré had been monitored for a long time.
“Mamadou is someone that we’ve tracked for quite some time. He’s been on our radar and was a player we were really keen to bring in,” he said.
Their presentations to prospective signings highlight the progress made by players who arrived without superstar reputations and later earned major moves. Ivan Toney, Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa are among the examples used to demonstrate the pathway.
Sangaré acknowledged that other clubs had shown interest, but explained why he chose west London.
“Yeah, it’s true [interest from big European clubs]. But I’m not going to give any names, out of respect.
“There were a lot of clubs. For me, the most important thing was to know where I could progress. And Brentford was the best place for my development.”
Amankwah Forson, a former teammate from their time at Liefering, also backed the move, telling SunSport: “I think he’s a perfect fit for Brentford. His talent is undeniable. Even when he played in Austria, he was very talented.
“All he needs is a place where he can show that, and I think the Premier League will see and know who he is before the end of the season. I’m certain of that.”
Sangaré is still adapting to English football and has recently lost his starting place to Yehor Yarmolyuk. Brentford, however, will judge the signing over a longer period. Its bet is that the midfielder’s talent, character and capacity to develop will make him a major asset.