Brentford midfielder Vitaly Janelt has signed a new contract.
OFFICIAL STATEMENT:
The 27-year-old has penned a deal which extends his stay until the summer of 2030, with a club option of a further year.
Janelt has scored 13 goals and provided 16 assists in 216 games across all competitions for the Bees and, in January, became the first Brentford player to reach 150 Premier League appearances.
“I’m delighted to get it done,” said head coach Keith Andrews.
“Vitaly is a vital cog. He’s so important to the way we play, and he’s an influential figure in the dressing room and in the club.
“He’s been an immense player for us for numerous years, so I’m really pleased to secure Vitaly’s future. He’s going to be a big player for us for many years to come.”
“Vitaly is a vital cog… he’s going to be a big player for us for many years to come”
Having turned professional with RB Leipzig before moving to Bochum, the Hamburg-born midfielder signed for the west Londoners in October 2020.
In his debut season with the club, Janelt became a pivotal part of the side that secured promotion to the Premier League for the first time, playing in all bar two Championship fixtures and scoring in a 3-1 play-off semi-final second leg win against Bournemouth at Gtech Community Stadium.
The midfielder then started alongside Mathias Jensen in midfield as the side defeated Swansea City 2-0 in the final at Wembley Stadium.
In Brentford’s inaugural Premier League campaign, he played 31 games and, a day after signing a new four-year deal in April 2022, celebrated by scoring twice in an historic 4-1 win against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
Janelt captained the club for the first time - in a 2-0 Carabao Cup win over Colchester United - in August 2022 and added another 37 appearances to his tally across all competitions during that season.
Brentford’s 2023/24 campaign was troubled by injuries but Janelt was ever-present, playing every fixture across all competitions - with only two of those outings being as a substitute - and was named Players’ Player of the Season.
Of his 35 matches last term, he was captain on six occasions, before missing the final month due to undergoing successful surgery to address an issue in his heel.
He has played 20 games so far this season, contributing three assists in the last two top-flight fixtures as Andrews’ side defeated Everton and Sunderland.