The 23-year-old Icelandic goalkeeper is on a promising development path. He delivered an impressive performance in the EFL Cup third-round match against Aston Villa.
In the 2024 winter transfer window, Valdimarsson joined England from Swedish top-flight club Elfsborg for a transfer fee of €3 million, aiming to fill the void left by the departure of backup goalkeeper Thomas Strakosha at the end of the season.
At the time, the Dutch Mark Flekken was the team's consistent starter. After weathering some fluctuations, Flekken ranked among the top goalkeepers in multiple statistical categories—including saves—during the 2024-25 season, cementing his starting position as unshakable. Moreover, as the 2024-25 season drew to a close, the Bees briefly held hopes of securing a European spot. The young goalkeeper from Scandinavia spent most of his time on the bench or featured in matches of lesser importance.
During the 2025-26 summer transfer window, with Flekken transferred to Bayer Leverkusen, prompting the club to sign Irish goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher from Liverpool to fill the void. While Valdimarsson may still feature as a substitute, the challenge of competing for the starting 11 now appears somewhat less daunting than before—especially after his heroics against Aston Villa, where he saved two penalties to become instrumental in the team's advancement.
Brentford has a long tradition of producing goalkeepers. Before Flekken, their starting goalkeeper David Raya is now playing for Arsenal and has become one of the Premier League's top goalkeepers. We have every reason to expect that the talent they develop will grow.