Brentford sign Denmark international defender Zanka on free transfer

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Denmark international centre-back Mathias ‘Zanka’ Jorgensen has joined Premier League side Brentford on a free transfer.

The former Huddersfield Town centre-back has signed a one-year deal with the option of extending until summer 2023, having left former club Fenerbahce at the end of June.

Zanka’s professional career began with FC Copenhagen in his homeland before a move to PSV in 2012. After two seasons in the Netherlands he returned to his previous club, before joining Huddersfield Town ahead of their first Premier League campaign in 2017.

He left the club for Istanbul following the Yorkshire club’s relegation in 2019, before being loaned out to Fortuna Dusseldorf and Copenhagen once again.

Bournemouth boss Thomas Frank explained: “We are pleased that we could strengthen our squad and bring in a top-quality experienced player to the group. This was especially important after Mads Bech picked up an injury.

“Zanka brings a wealth of experience from different leagues and a lot of international games, he has also played in the Premier League before. That experience and leadership is especially important, and it is great to get him in. Zanka is a player that is defensively strong, he is aware of how we like to defend, has very good positioning and has quality on the ball. We think he can play in any of the three central defensive positions.”

The 31-year-old was part of the Danish squad which was knocked out of EURO 2020 by England at the semi-final stage this summer, and scored in his nation’s 2018 World Cup quarter-final defeat to Croatia.

The Bees signed five first-team players in the summer, including another centre-back in Celtic's Kristoffer Ajer. Midfielder Frank Onyeka joined from FC Midtjylland in Denmark, meanwhile, while winger Yoane Wissa also arrived at the Brentford Community Stadium from Lorient.

Frank’s side are unbeaten in their opening three Premier League games, having beaten Arsenal at home and drawn with Aston Villa and Crystal Palace on the road.