Brentford director of football Phil Giles has explained the decision to sanction Frank Onyeka’s permanent transfer to Coventry City.
Onyeka initially moved to Coventry City on loan in January, helping the Sky Blues win the Sky Bet Championship title and return to the Premier League for the first time in 25 years.
The Nigeria international completed a permanent transfer to the Sky Blues for an undisclosed fee, with the deal officially taking effect on Wednesday, July 1, 2026.
Giles explained that Onyeka left Brentford to secure regular first-team football.
“Frank has been with us since our first Premier League game, and has always shown fantastic commitment, work rate and loyalty during his time here. Ultimately, he probably didn’t start as many games as he’d have liked, which is why the opportunity for him to move to Coventry made sense for all parties. He made a big contribution to their promotion and has earned his chance at becoming a regular Premier League starter with them. Frank will always be welcome back at Brentford and we wish him well for next season with Coventry.”
Onyeka joined Brentford from Danish outfit FC Midtjylland in 2021 and made 87 total appearances for the Bees, including 75 in the Premier League.
He regularly featured during his debut season, helping the Bees to a 13th-place finish, and went on to make 23 appearances during the 2022/23 campaign.
Before his pivotal switch to Coventry City, Onyeka spent the 2024/25 season on loan in the Bundesliga with FC Augsburg, where he featured 31 times.
He returned to England to make nine appearances for Brentford in the first half of the recent term before heading to the Sky Blues on a temporary basis in January. His loan contract included an obligation to buy upon promotion, a clause officially triggered by Coventry’s championshi