talkSPORT pundit Adrian Durham believes Brentford midfielder Mamadou Sangare is the second-best performing player in the Premier League so far this season.

Durham also compared the Mali international to Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard. Sangare joined Brentford this summer for £39 million from Lens, following an impressive debut season in France.

The 24-year-old was included in Ligue 1's Team of the Year last season and won the Ligue 1 African Player of the Year award. He also lifted the French Cup with his side, scoring 3 goals and providing 4 assists in 29 Ligue 1 appearances.

Sangare has brought his form to the Premier League, making a strong impression for Brentford in the opening matches of this season.

"Sangare is like Gerrard in his prime"

Durham said: "The second-best player in the Premier League so far this season, though it's still early days, I think is Brentford midfielder Mamadou Sangare."

"He joined this summer from Lens, made Ligue 1's Team of the Year last year, and cost only £40 million. In today's market, that's exceptional value."

"He's 24 years old, a good age—not too young, with some experience already, but still a long career ahead. He's a Mali international, excellent on the ball, can tackle, isn't afraid of a challenge, can do it all."

"Watching him in Brentford's opening two matches, he's been everywhere. I haven't seen a dynamic midfielder like that in a long time—a bit like Gerrard back in the day."

"Our midfields have become a bit stagnant because everyone now is a defensive midfielder, another defensive midfielder, suddenly very expensive, but their stats aren't great."

"I think this guy will be an old-school box-to-box midfielder who can basically do everything. He's that good."

Sangare provided 1 assist, setting up Keane Lewis-Potter in Brentford's opening Premier League match against Tottenham Hotspur. Brentford then drew at home to Leeds United on Sunday, maintaining their unbeaten start to the season.

Manchester City should have signed Sangare instead of Enzo Fernández

Durham also believes Manchester City should have signed Sangare this summer rather than Enzo Fernández. Chelsea, under Maresca's management, signed the Argentina international for a record £125 million on transfer deadline day.

Durham believes the deal reveals a problem in the Premier League's elite's approach to the transfer market. He said: "One thing that's most frustrating to me is that some of the big clubs, particularly Manchester City, always let other teams buy a player first, and then they go chasing after them themselves.

"It shows their talent scouting isn't thorough enough. They should see that a player could be useful to them and move immediately.

"Sangare is exactly the type of player Manchester City should have been monitoring. They should have identified him earlier.

"If they'd signed Sangare for just £40 million back then, they wouldn't need to pay £125 million for Enzo Fernández. That's wasteful spending and brings inevitable criticism."

Sangare has signed a five-year contract with Brentford, with an additional 12-month extension option. If he continues to perform at this level, his value next summer will likely be significantly higher than the £39 million Brentford paid last month.

Diterjemahkan oleh AI.

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