Brentford have completed their first signing of the summer with the capture of defender Jannik Schuster from RB Salzburg for a fee in the region of £16million.

Schuster is an Austria Under-21 international and has made 29 appearances for Salzburg this season, including three in the Europa League. He has signed a five-year deal at the Gtech Community Stadium and continues Brentford’s policy of signing young players and developing them.

Bees boss Keith Andrews told the club’s official website: “I’m really delighted that we were able to get Jannik on board. He’s already played a lot of games for Salzburg at a high level. He’s a player with a lot of potential, and we see that as something we can develop.

“I really like him as a young man; he’s determined to maximise his potential. He’s going to fit in well with the first-team squad.”

Brentford is the ‘best club in the world at developing players’, says Schuster

Schuster joined the Salzburg academy in 2020 and started his professional career with their feeder club Liefering.

He made his Salzburg debut in May 2025 and was a member of the squad that took part in the Club World Cup last summer.

The 19-year-old is excited by the future and developing at Brentford.

He said: “I’m really looking forward to starting training, meeting everybody, and getting to know the players, staff and fans. It’s maybe the best club in the world at developing players. Every conversation I had gave me a good feeling and confidence about the transfer.

“It’s impressive how successful the club has been with players they have brought in from nowhere, I would say!”