THIRD Championship Club Join Race for Forgotten Brentford Star

THIRD Championship Club Join Race for Forgotten Brentford Star

Transfer News

EFL Clubs to Battle Over Brentford Star with La Liga Side Interested

Birmingham City and Coventry City are both looking to sign Brentford midfielder Frank Onyeka on loan this January, but face competition from abroad in the medium of La Liga side Valencia and, now, Sheffield United according to the Daily Mail.

The Blues, Blades and Sky Blues have both been looking to revamp their midfields this winter, and have been trying bring the Nigeria international up to the West Midlands on a loan basis with all three sides holding promotion ambitions this season from the EFL Championship.

However, under-fire Valencia boss Carlos Corberan, formerly of West Bromwich Albion, has identified a move for Onyeka after an impressive string of performances for Nigeria in the Africa Cup of Nations. As such Birmingham, Sheffield United and Coventry will have to rival a big name in Spain's top-flight should they wish to bring Onyeka on board.

Onyeka Set for Loan Exit with Four Chasing Clubs

Onyeka is something of a stalwart over at Brentford, having been purchased under the watch of club icon and current Spurs boss Thomas Frank from FC Midtyjlland back in the summer of 2021, after the club were promoted to the Premier League.

Although he was initially a mainstay in the Bee's midfield department in West London, as they built themselves a solid position in the top flight, the now 28-year-old has seen his volume of minutes significantly dwindled as time has gone by - even more so from the appointment of Keith Andrews after Frank's departure.

In four-and-a-half years in London, Onyeka has turned out just 87 times in all competitions, netting once whilst providing six assists. However, those numbers won't be a concern to Brentford fans - he earned the nickname 'Tank' for his gutsy, physical displays at the epicentre of their midfield.

He enjoyed a loan spell in the Bundesliga last term, making 34 appearances and assisting twice for FC Augsburg on loan, and now the 41-times capped Nigerian international looks set for another temporary switch from the Premier League's fifth-placed club.

The Daily Mail first revealed on Thursday morning that Coventry City were chasing a move for Onyeka as a potential target this winter, holding hope that he can be convinced into dropping to the Championship for the first time in his career, if only temporarily. However, they also stated that Birmingham and Sheffield United are also looking to bring Onyeka out of London with a loan-to-buy arrangement the most likely outcome.

Louis Wheeldon
Louis Wheeldon Lead Writer and Editor

An avid gambler, football obsessive and loyal Nottingham Forest fan, Louis has been writing about football and wider sports since he was just 15 years old.

Armed with a Football Journalism degree from the University of Derby, he initially joined the Football Park team in April 2025 as a Freelance Writer, before quickly being offered a full-time position as the site's Lead Writer and Betting Strategist. His time working in football has taken him to every corner of the sports media landscape possible, with roles for GiveMeSport, Reach PLC and VAVEL included amongst the 15 different websites he has written for in the past, whilst his roles in club media include non-league sides Hucknall Town and Basford United - he can still be found on live radio commentary with the latter from time to time - as well as Nottingham Forest themselves.

During his tenure at GiveMeSport, Louis showcased his range by producing everything from historical deep-dives into Liverpool's greatest-ever finishers to tactical breakdowns. His expertise also extends to the betting markets, where he has provided sharp match analysis and predictions for fixtures such as England vs. Finland in the Nations League.

Louis holds a knowledge of the 92 and it's various combatants that is as varied as it is mildly concerning. He channelled this keen interest in the sport into a hopeful career in professional journalism back in 2018 with the launch of his own personal From12Yards blog whilst studying for his GCSE's, before expanding his list of clientele with articles on his beloved Nottingham Forest for a local newspaper and freelancing for different publications over a range of sports, including darts, professional wrestling, MMA, boxing and Formula 1 (he talks about Daniel Ricciardo a concerning amount).

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