2023 Transfer Spotlight: Brentford’s Mark Flekken

From the moment Brentford’s Number 1 David Raya rejected a contract extension, the Bees have been actively recruiting for his replacement, so Mark Flekken become their first buy of the summer. Brentford signed a 4-year contract with the 30 year-old Dutch International after agreeing to an 11m deal with Bundesliga’s Freiburg from .

Mark Flekken said in a press release on Brentford’s web site:

”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.”

The statement shows how far Mark Flekken has fought to reach where he is now. After a significant knee injury in 2014, he had to take a step back from the second German league to the third to find a new club and revive his career. However, he persevered and steadily improved year after year. Upon finally securing the #1 position at Freiburg, he encountered another major setback, this time with an elbow injury. The initial weeks after this injury were mentally and physically challenging, causing him to question his abilities at that level. Nevertheless, he was able to overcome these difficulties and continue his progress.

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After joining Freiburg from third division MSV Duisburg, he became a regular, helped to achieve 6th and 5th places in consecutive seasons plus reaching the German Cup Final. Brentford manager Thomas Frank is particularly impressed with Flekken’s ball distribution, vital in modern football. On top of that, he is also known for his agility, shot-stopping, and commanding presence in the penalty area. He possesses good reflexes and has demonstrated acrobatic saves when diving to deny opponents’ shots. Flekken is confident in coming off his line to claim crosses and high balls, using his height and reach to disrupt aerial threats. He is known to be assertive in organizing his defense, communicating with his teammates, and positioning himself well to anticipate and intercept crosses.

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If you have not watched Bundesliga regularly, there is another side story of Mark Flekken that might help refresh your memories of him. Flekken has experienced unwanted attention, particularly during his time at Duisburg. He made headlines as ‘the drinking goalkeeper’ when he conceded a goal because he was caught taking a sip from his water bottle. However, he managed to overcome this incident and went on to achieve success.

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From a fantasy manager’s point of view, Mark Flekken will be the starting goalkeeper if/when David Raya departs. Fantasy managers can recall the outstanding points produced by Raya at Brentford in his first Premier League season — and we can hope for the same if Flekken continues at Brentford what he did in Bundesliga. In 2022-23, David Raya’s price bumps slowly turned him into one of the most expensive players (in Fantrax), so managers, especially in Fantrax, should have an eye on Flekken and be ready to pounce when the season begins.

Stats and info for this article were sourced from transfermarkt.com, premierleague.com, sportinglife.com, and bundesliga.com

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Will Mark Flekken be on your roster or watchlist when the season starts on August 11? Please log in and tell us your thoughts in the comments below!

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