As it has been for many years, Brentford continue to defy expectations in the second tier and are once again in the hunt for a Sky Bet Championship play-off spot.

With one of the smallest budgets in the division, the Bees have been able to compete with the league’s big spenders by adopting a well-organised approach to transfers, with manager Dean Smith spearheading solid recruitment with in-depth, effective coaching methods to forge a side capable of playing Premier League standard football.

Hovering around the top six once more, the West Londoners have an excellent chance of breaking into the postseason lottery and earning a chance at a Wembley final, and what would be perhaps the biggest promotion shock since Bournemouth rose to the top flight of the English game.

Plans will already be in place for summer recruitment, but with the Bees aiming to improve again next term, these pieces of business could be on the cards for the impressive side from Middlesex.

Sadly for the Bees it appears that the Danish defender is allowing his contract in TW8 to run out ahead of the World Cup in Russia, and he will be moving on to undertake a fresh challenge in the summer.

The 29-year-old took time to settle in West London following a devastating knee injury early into his career, but the 2015 arrival from FC Twente began to show his class upon his return to action.

A solid leader at the heart of the Bees backline, a replacement will need to be sourced, but if Smith can hold onto young Chris Mepham this summer, then he has a ready made replacement alongside John Egan.

Bjelland will be a loss, but one Brentford can recover from.

Brentford have a knack of sourcing top quality player’s from the Eredivisie for bargain prices as proven by the captures of Bjelland and Kamohelo Mokotjo, and Excelsior defender Mattheij could be the latest man to make a name for himself at Griffin Park.

The 24-year-old has bags of talent and has proven himself as one of the most consistent central defenders outside of the powerhouses of Ajax and PSV Eindhoven, and is exactly the type of player to be on the Bees’ radar in the summer.

Young, good on the ball and an emerging leader within the Excelsior side, Mattheij possesses all of the attributes required to succeed in West London, and should be available for a modest fee by English football’s standards.

Brentford lost impressive goalscorer Lasse Vibe to China earlier in the month, and replaced him with Emiliano Marcondes, who has smashed seventeen goals in the first half of the season to lead the goalscoring charts in Denmark’s top flight.

However more firepower is needed, and Manchester City youngster Thierry Ambrose could provide the perfect season-long fix at Griffin Park.

The 20-year-old Frenchman joined the Citizens from Auxerre in 2013, and was handed his first opportunity at first team action with NAC Breda in Holland this term.

Approaching double figures for the year, the player has impressed with the Eredivisie strugglers, and Pep Guardiola may be tempted to test the player in the English second tier.

Brentford have proven the perfect grounds from which youngsters can learn their trades, with the likes of Adam Forshaw, John Swift, Alex Pritchard and Wojciech Szczesny all spending time in West London in the past.

The Bees need a striker and City need a club to develop their rising star, so this appears to be a match made in heaven.

Bees fans, let us know your thoughts!