Bologna full-back Aaron Hickey is close to sealing a big-money move to Brentford and is expected to fly to England this week to undergo a medical. He will sign a contract until the summer of 2027.
Arsenal have been linked with a move for the Bologna defender for some time, but it looks like Brentford have stolen a march on their London rivals. It is understood that the Bees have agreed to a £14m fee with the Serie A outfit regarding a transfer for the highly-rated youngster.
Aaron Hickey, 20, has certainly caught the eye over the past year with his consistent displays for Bologna, who had signed him from Hearts in 2020. After making 12 appearances during his debut campaign in Serie A, the four-cap Scotland international established himself as a mainstay in the first-team last term with 36 league appearances, scoring five goals.
In addition to Hickey, Brentford are also on the brink of completing a deal for Hull City forward Keane Lewis-Potter.
A solid top-flight debut campaign for Brentford
Brentford won their first-ever promotion to the Premier League last season with a 2-0 victory over Swansea City in the Championship playoff final at Wembley Stadium.
Upon promotion, Thomas Frank’s priority was to keep Brentford up and he did that, helping the club finish 13th on the table. What impressed most was the manner in which the Bees gave an account of themselves throughout the campaign, registering notable wins over Arsenal, Chelsea, West Ham and Everton.
Aaron Hickey close to joining Thomas Frank’s Bees
One of the areas Brentford are apparently looking to solidify in this transfer window is the defence, having conceded 56 goals last term. Thus, the potential arrival of Aaron Hickey from Bologna makes sense.
Hickey has had two solid years in Italy and would be keen to develop as a player under Thomas Frank at Brentford. He would be a good fit at the Brentford Community Stadium, bringing competition for the likes of Sergi Canos, Rico Henry and Mads Roerslev at full-back.
The Scotsman is an attacking player who’ll fit perfectly in Frank’s 5-3-2/4-3-3 system, where a lot of emphases is on the wing-backs to bomb forward and create opportunities in the final third. He is also defensively diligent in 1v1 situations and will be expected to improve in his position as time goes by.
Hickey would have the potential to be an outstanding signing for the west London outfit. At the age of 20, he is still a raw product, but by his performances in Bologna colours, Brentford are about to land a top talent with loads of potential.
I am Rohan Sengupta from one of the busiest cities in India, Mumbai. A Journalism graduate with a keen interest in sports, football is something I simply cannot live without and writing, discussing and analyzing the game is what I do 24*7.
