Borussia Dortmund are leading the race for a potential January move for Brentford forward Marcus Forss, with the Bees facing a battle to hold onto the in-form marksman.

Forss has managed to establish himself as a vital part of Brentford’s attack so far this season, after the departure of last term’s leading scorer Ollie Watkins. The 21-year-old has been making a real difference for Thomas Frank’s side off the bench and helping to add the attacking presence of Ivan Toney who has been their main starter so far.

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The Finnish striker has so far managed to average a goal every 32 minutes on the field in the Championship, which is an excellent strike rate that is helping the Bees take advantage of tiring defences in the closing stages of matches as they start to show signs of getting into their stride.

It is thought that Borussia Dortmund are leading the way in pursuit of Forss, with fellow Bundesliga outfit Union Berlin also registering a keen interest in the 21-year-old, per TEAMtalk. That means the Bees could face a real challenge to hold on to another one of their prized assets.

The verdict

Losing Forss so early into his Brentford career would be a huge blow for the Bees, but Dortmund have already shown their willingness and enthusiasm to recruit young talented players from the Championship with the addition of Jude Bellingham in the summer from Birmingham City.

Frank has described the forward as ‘fantastic’ for his performances this season, and the forward has just seen his form earn him an international call up to the Finland squad. That is after averaging 0.7 shots per game and scoring four league goals despite only making seven sub appearances so far (Sofascore).

Brentford have shown they are adept at replacing players who they lose from their squad with equal talent, but Forss has yet to have the sort of impact that Watkins had managed to do before he eventually left the club for the Premier League.