Brentford have reportedly hit a stumbling block in their efforts to sign Sampdoria playmaker Mikkel Damsgaard.
The Bees are currently preparing for their Premier League opener with Leicester City on Sunday afternoon after making four notable additions.
However, while the likes of Thomas Strakosha, Ben Mee, Aaron Hickey and Keane Lewis-Potter have already arrived at the London effort, head coach Thomas Frank is in the market for a replacement for Christian Eriksen.
Throughout this week, Brentford have been heavily linked with Damsgaard, a player who would represent a huge coup for a team ready to compete in just their second-ever Premier League campaign.
Nevertheless, according to the Daily Mail, the completion of a deal is no longer regarded as a foregone conclusion.
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The report claims that the transfer is currently being delayed due to a disagreement over finances should Brentford suffer relegation from the top flight.
Brentford are said to be keen for a clause to be present in Damsgaard's contract where his salary would be reduced should they return to the Championship.
As it stands, it is unclear whether a transfer will progress, but the successful acquisition of Damsgaard would represent one of the biggest pieces of business in the club's history.
That is despite the 22-year-old failing to make a lasting impression at Sampdoria since his arrival in 2020 with 22 of his 46 Serie A appearances coming from the substitutes' bench.
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However, Damsgaard is no stranger to English football fans having scored a free kick for Denmark against the Three Lions in the Euro 2020 semi-finals last summer.
Nevertheless, that has proven to be the last of Damsgaard's four international goals with his 2021-22 campaign being disrupted through injury.
That will have contributed to Sampdoria being prepared to allegedly accept a £16m bid for his signature, the Italian side having only paid Nordsjaelland a fee of €6.7m two years ago.
The versatile creator has two years remaining on his contract at Stadio Luigi Ferraris.
Darren Plant
