Igor Thiago joined Brentford in 2024 for a club-record fee, tasked with filling Ivan Toney’s shoes. Last season, a serious knee injury limited him to just 175 minutes on the pitch.
Fast forward to this season, and he’s the Premier League’s second-top scorer with eight goals, trailing only Erling Haaland.
In this article, we’ll cover:
A tough first season in England
Overcoming adversity is nothing new for Thiago. After losing his father at 13, he worked as a bricklayer and in a supermarket before professional football even seemed possible. After impressing at regional side Vere FC in Brazil, he moved to Cruzeiro, then earned his European breakthrough with Ludogorets.
The Brazilian scored 15 goals in 2022-23, helping Ludogorets claim the Bulgarian title. Thiago also won the Young Player of the Season award at Club Brugge, for his seven goals in the Conference League in 2023-24.
The big switch to the Premier League came when Brentford broke their transfer record to sign him in July 2024. Signed for £30million to replace outgoing talisman Ivan Toney, Thiago struggled through an injury-hit debut season. He failed to score in eight appearances and only managed 175 minutes of football.
Last season, Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa carried the Bees’ attack, combining for 40 goals. But the pair left in the summer, joining Manchester United and Newcastle United, respectively. The question was, who could step up? Thiago looks determined to be the answer.
Credit to Keith Andrews
After losing Thomas Frank and some hugely influential backroom staff, along with star players such as Wissa, Mbeumo and Norgaard, many pundits predicted Brentford would struggle under Keith Andrews. Plenty were tipping them for relegation.
Things were always going to be tricky for the Bees, with a tough quintet of opening fixtures. They had to face Nottingham Forest, Aston Villa, Chelsea, Manchester City and Man Utd.
However, Andrews has navigated his first few months impressively. His side now sit 12th on 16 points, six clear of the relegation zone. Be it utilising long throws or long balls, Brentford have put in some impressive performances, for which Thiago has been a massive part of.
A 20-goal season?
After just 11 matches of the 2025-06 Premier League campaign, Thiago has eight goals to his name. Only Erling Haaland can better that figure this term, with a remarkable 14. But kudos should be given to Thiago, who has two more than any other player in the league.
Before a ball was kicked this season, several bookmakers had priced the 24-year-old at a massive 150/1 each-way at 1/4 odds in the Premier League top scorer market.
It may seem a given that Erling Haaland is more than likely to go on and be crowned the winner. But should Thiago place in the top-four scorers, punters will be on for a healthy each-way return to the tune of 37/1. An angle that bettors often exploit, with a player from outside the Premier League’s ‘Big Six’ having been placed in the top goalscorer market in all but three seasons since 1992.
Should he carry on scoring at his current rate, Thiago would score 28 goals this season. Of course, reaching that figure is highly unlikely. But being a guaranteed starter who is also on penalties, eclipsing 20 goals could be a realistic target.
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Physical presence
It’s clear that the Premier League is one of the most physically demanding leagues in the world. Time and time again, we struggle to see players get up to speed or cope with the intensity. Florian Wirtz at Liverpool springs to mind.
This certainly isn’t the case for Thiago. At 6’3″, he looks like the type of bloke you’d be hiding behind if it kicked off in the pub. The forward has scored one headed goal this season, but it’s the aerial duels he’s won that catch the eye in his data.
Over 11 matches this season, he averages an impressive 3.3 aerial duels won per 90 minutes. That figure is higher than any other striker to have featured in at least eight games this season.
His speed and ability to get onto long-balls should also not be underestimated, as shown against Man Utd when he timed his run perfectly and slotted one in the top corner. This tactic and type of goal were prominent under Thomas Frank, and again, Thiago is showing the qualities that Mbeumo and Wissa possessed.
Brazil’s new No.9?
Brazil have been graced with some of the best attacking talents in the history of football. Players such as Ronaldo, Pele, Rivaldo, Romario and Jairzinho have fired them to a record five World Cup wins.
Ahead of next summer’s World Cup, the hunt is on for the striker who will spearhead their attack across the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
While attacking talents like Vinicius Junior, Raphinha and Rodrygo promise plenty of flair, the battle for the coveted number nine shirt is wide open. With plenty of contenders playing in the Premier League, what happens in England over the coming months is likely to have a significant impact as Brazil bid to end their 24-year wait for the trophy. Matheus Cunha, Richarlison, Joao Pedro, Rodrigo Muniz, Evanilson, Gabriel Jesus, and the aforementioned Igor Thiago are all looking to catch the eye and confirm their seat on the plane to North America.
Out-scoring all of his fellow Brazilians in the Premier League this season would make it impossible for Carlo Ancelotti to ignore Thiago, giving the Brentford forward a chance to earn that first cap and make it to the World Cup.
After a turbulent qualifying campaign, Brazil can be backed at 7/1 for World Cup glory, with three teams, including England, priced shorter.