(Credit: Imago)

Charlie Grace

Tue 19 August 2025 9:52, UK

Brentford’s summer problems look set to continue as Yoane Wissa becomes their latest star to push for a move away from the club.

Brentford were beaten 3-1 at Nottingham Forest on Sunday to begin their Premier League season and Wissa was a notable absence from the matchday squad.

New Brentford manager Keith Andrews took over from Thomas Frank in the summer after the Danish head coach switched West London for North taking over at Tottenham Hotspur, and it was a disappointing start to the Irishman’s tenure.

Andrews, Frank’s former set-piece coach, faces an uphill battle at the club after a summer of major outgoings, and some fear that a potential relegation battle now looms at the Gtech Community Stadium.

Brentford given relegation warning

With Sunderland and Leeds United picking up opening weekend wins, six matchdays before any of last season’s newly promoted sides managed to collect three points, the security of some of the Premier League’s mainstays over the last few years are at risk.

Speaking to Sky Sports, journalists John Cross and Charlie Wyett believe Brentford are one of those clubs at risk of Premier League relegation after four years in England’s top flight.

Sun reporter Wyett issued Brentford a significant relegation warning saying: “It’s been an incredible few seasons for Brentford, a wonderful journey, and if they’re to stay up it will be an absolute miracle.”

Meanwhile, Cross, of the Mirror, questioned Wissa’s approach to push for a Brentford exit after the DR Congo international removed the club from all his social media accounts.

“Wissa has become a really influential and really good Premier League player at Brentford, and for him to do that on his social media, he knows exactly what he’s doing,” he said.

“It’s very directed, it feels bitterly unfair and I think it’s a really bad look.”

Could we finally see a newly promoted club secure survival after two years?

Football Insider verdict

Brentford aren’t the only long-serving Premier League club looking anxiously over their shoulders at the roaring starts of Sunderland and Leeds.

Wolves and West Ham both had largely subpar seasons last year and will face renewed jeopardy if the quality of the promoted sides takes a step up.

Neither team has improved greatly on the pitch and, similarly to Brentford, both clubs have lost important first-team players in the transfer window without replacing them.

Matheus Cunha departed Wolves to team up with Bryan Mbeumo, who left Brentford for Manchester United, while Rayan Ait-Nouri also left the Black Country for Manchester City.

At West Ham, Mohammed Kudus switched the Hammers for London rivals Tottenham, joining forces with Brentford’s former head coach Frank.

As the summer transfer deadline creeps ever closer, time is running out for the three clubs to reinvest their finances into their squad sufficiently, and if performances on the opening weekend are anything to go by, reinforcements are desperately needed.

Wolves fell to a resounding 4-0 loss at home to Manchester City, who were admittedly impressive themselves, while West Ham were on the receiving end of Sunderland’s tremendous 3-0 home win.

Sunderland and Leeds both showed they have made editions that can make them competitive in this Premier League season and as the gap closes to the top flight’s bottom clubs they stand every chance of earning survival this campaign.