Brentford have announced the signing of goalkeeper Mark Flekken from Freiburg.
Flekken has agreed a four-year deal, as he becomes Brentford’s first arrival of the summer.
Mark Flekken is a Bee 🐝#WelcomeFlekken pic.twitter.com/xNxT3rgkvy
— Brentford FC (@BrentfordFC) May 31, 2023
“We’re very happy to have signed Mark,” head coach Thomas Frank told the club's official website. “He has big experience and joins us after two great seasons with Freiburg, who have just had a top season in the Bundesliga, finishing fifth and qualifying for the Europa League."
Last season Flekken kept 13 clean sheets in 34 matches, the most in the Bundesliga, and had the fourth-highest save percentage, with 74 per cent.
The 29-year-old Netherlands international showed his accurate distribution by playing the second-most passes over 40 yards, completing 271 of those. He also made the sixth-most defensive actions outside the box, with 43, highlighting his ability to sweep up behind his defence.
"I'm very excited," said Flekken. “If you had told me seven years ago when I was in the third division of Germany that one day I would be playing in the Premier League, I would have probably knocked you down!
"But it's a dream come true and my next big step. And I hope we can take the next steps as a squad and as a club as well.
“I'm a ball-playing goalkeeper. I try to bring calmness into the squad and I’ll always try to direct the guys in front of me - I’ll help them to help me."
