Brentford have opened preliminary talks with Kevin Schade over a new long-term contract as the Premier League club attempts to secure the future of one of their most valuable attacking players amid interest from Arsenal and Liverpool.
The Germany international has started the 2026/27 season strongly, scoring three goals in Brentford’s opening five Premier League matches. Sky Sports reports that Arsenal and Liverpool were the clubs showing the strongest interest towards the end of the summer transfer window, while Chelsea and Tottenham have also tracked the winger.
No transfer has been agreed, and there is currently no confirmed formal bid from either Arsenal or Liverpool.
Brentford’s immediate focus is instead on extending Schade’s stay. The 24-year-old has entered the final two years of the five-year contract he signed when his move from SC Freiburg became permanent in June 2023. Brentford originally announced that deal was running until 2028.
That puts the current talks into clearer context.
This is not a player approaching free agency, but Brentford have reached the stage where extending his contract would strengthen their position before his existing deal moves closer to its final year.
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Brentford Want to Reward Schade’s Strong Start
The timing of the negotiations is significant.
Schade has been one of Brentford’s standout attacking players during an impressive beginning to the campaign.
Sky Sports reported that Brentford were unbeaten through their opening five league matches, collecting two home victories against Tottenham and Chelsea alongside three draws. That run left the Bees fourth in the Premier League when the contract talks emerged.
Schade contributed three goals during those five matches.
Brentford’s own current statistics confirm the same total, recording three goals from five league appearances and 448 minutes of football. He has also registered six shots on target from nine attempts.
Those numbers matter because Schade’s game has never been built purely around possession or technical combination play.
His most obvious qualities are different:
pace, direct running, athleticism, pressing and the ability to attack space behind defenders.
The increasing goal return adds another dimension.
That combination helps explain why clubs competing near the top of the Premier League continue to monitor him.
Arsenal and Liverpool Interest Is Real, but the Situation Is Not Yet an Active Transfer
This distinction is important.
Sky Sports reports that both Arsenal and Liverpool have tracked Schade, with the two clubs believed to have shown the strongest interest as the summer window approached its conclusion. Chelsea and Tottenham have also admired the German.
That does not mean Brentford have accepted an offer.
It does not mean Schade has agreed personal terms elsewhere.
And it does not mean a January transfer is already being negotiated.
The current confirmed development is that Brentford have begun initial contract discussions.
Interest from larger clubs forms part of the background and helps explain why Brentford have reason to act now.
Transfer stories frequently move too quickly from “tracked” to “wanted” and then from “wanted” to “close to signing”.
There is no need to make that jump here.
Schade remains a Brentford player, remains under contract until 2028 and continues to play an important role for the club.
Why Arsenal Are Monitoring Kevin Schade?
Arsenal’s interest is understandable from a squad-profile perspective.
Mikel Arteta already has significant attacking quality, but Arsenal’s recent recruitment strategy has consistently prioritised players with physical capacity, tactical flexibility and room for further development.
Schade fits several of those characteristics.
He can operate from the left, the right or closer to the centre.
His acceleration allows him to threaten the space behind a defensive line.
And at 24, he remains young enough to improve while already possessing substantial Premier League experience.
There is another relevant factor.
Arsenal spent the summer assessing whether another top-level forward could improve their attack but ultimately ended the window without completing the marquee attacking deal they had considered. SoccerMatchToday examined that decision in its analysis of Arsenal’s decision not to sign another world-class forward.
Schade would represent a different type of acquisition.
He is not the established superstar Arsenal were linked with during parts of the summer.
Instead, he would offer Premier League experience, athleticism and versatility with the potential for another developmental step.
Whether Arsenal eventually decide that profile is worth pursuing remains to be seen.
Liverpool Have Reasons to Keep Watching Schade Too
Liverpool’s interest also has a logical basis.
Their attacking department has undergone major change over consecutive transfer windows, and the club have continued assessing players capable of operating with high intensity across multiple forward positions.
Schade’s pressing work has been part of his profile since before he moved to England.
When Brentford first brought him from Freiburg in January 2023, director of football Phil Giles specifically highlighted his willingness to press and work hard without the ball, while also identifying his potential to become a more productive goalscorer.
Those qualities can be valuable for teams that ask forwards to contribute heavily to the defensive phase.
Liverpool’s interest therefore should not be understood simply as a response to three goals this season.
Schade has been on the radar of major clubs for some time.
His current form is strengthening the case rather than creating it from nothing.
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Schade’s Current Contract Runs Until 2028
Brentford are not negotiating from a position of immediate contractual weakness.
Schade initially joined from Freiburg on loan in January 2023.
The agreement included conditions that would make the transfer permanent, with Brentford confirming the permanent deal that June.
The club announced a five-year contract until 2028.
Sky Sports places the transfer value at around £20 million.
That was a substantial investment for Brentford at the time.
Three years later, the logic behind protecting that investment is obvious.
Allowing Schade to begin next summer with only one year remaining on his contract would significantly alter the negotiating landscape.
If he signs an extension, Brentford gain greater control.
If talks fail to progress, interested clubs will know his contractual position is becoming more favourable to potential buyers.
That is why the next few months could matter even if no January transfer ever becomes realistic.
Brentford Have Good Reason to Offer Improved Terms
Sky Sports reports that Brentford want to offer Schade improved terms as part of a new long-term contract.
That is about more than simply preventing Arsenal or Liverpool from signing him.
Contract structures need to reflect a player’s changing status inside a squad.
Schade originally arrived at Brentford as a young forward still adapting from Bundesliga football.
His position is now different.
He has established himself in the Premier League.
He is becoming more productive.
And he has developed into a senior Germany international.
If Brentford consider him central to their next phase, a new contract would recognise that progression.
It would also send an important message internally.
Clubs such as Brentford cannot stop wealthier sides from admiring their best players.
What they can do is create a situation in which those players are properly valued, rewarded and protected contractually.
Schade Has 25 Brentford Goals and Is Adding More End Product
Sky Sports credits Schade with 25 goals and nine assists in 119 Brentford appearances following his three-goal start to this campaign.
That career total needs context.
His Brentford development has not been completely smooth.
Injuries interrupted some of his earlier progress, and his raw athletic ability initially appeared more advanced than his finishing and final decision-making.
The current version of Schade looks more complete.
His movement is becoming more productive.
He is arriving in dangerous positions more consistently.
And his finishing numbers this season suggest he is becoming more efficient when chances appear.
Brentford’s official statistics through five league matches show:
- three goals;
- six shots on target;
- nine total shots;
- 15 aerial duels won from 27;
- four successful dribbles; and
- five successful tackles from seven attempts.
Those numbers offer a useful picture of why Schade attracts attention.
He contributes in several phases of the game.
His Pace Remains the Quality That Changes Defences
Schade’s speed remains his most obvious weapon.
There are forwards who need the ball delivered directly to their feet.
Schade can threaten without touching it.
A defender who knows Schade is positioned outside him cannot step forward as aggressively because of the space that might open behind.
That affects the entire defensive line.
His runs can force opponents backwards.
They can create room for midfielders.
They can stretch compact blocks.
And when Brentford regain possession, his ability to accelerate into open space creates an immediate counterattacking option.
Those characteristics are particularly attractive to stronger clubs because elite teams increasingly need different attacking profiles.
Possession specialists are useful.
So are direct players who can turn one pass into a transition.
Schade provides the second option.
Germany Recognition Strengthens Schade’s Reputation
His progress is no longer limited to club football.
Schade started Jürgen Klopp’s first match as Germany head coach, lining up on the wing during Thursday’s 1-1 UEFA Nations League draw against the Netherlands in Amsterdam.
The German Football Association confirmed that Schade started alongside Karim Adeyemi behind Kai Havertz.
He remained dangerous after half-time and produced a powerful effort that Netherlands goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen saved before Schade was substituted in the 64th minute.
That selection is relevant to the transfer discussion.
Starting Klopp’s first Germany match is not proof that Schade will become a permanent first-choice international.
It does show that his form has been noticed at the highest level of the national setup.
Schade had been recalled as part of Klopp’s first Germany squad after previously establishing himself at senior international level while playing for Brentford.
His profile is therefore growing simultaneously at club and international level.
Germany’s Tactical Approach Suits Him
The Netherlands match also demonstrated why Schade can be attractive in a pressing-oriented team.
Germany began aggressively, attempting to win possession high and use their wide players quickly when turnovers occurred.
The DFB report noted that Germany repeatedly looked to their wide attackers after regaining the ball, with Schade carrying a direct threat before his substitution.
That approach naturally suits him.
Schade does not need a team to dominate possession for him to influence a match.
In fact, some of his most dangerous moments come when the game opens.
That gives coaches tactical flexibility.
He can play in a team expecting to have less possession and counterattack.
He can also operate for a dominant side that needs somebody willing to run behind a low defensive block.
That adaptability is part of his transfer value.
Why Brentford Are in No Rush to Sell?
There is currently little evidence Brentford wants to encourage a sale.
Their behaviour suggests the opposite.
The club are discussing a new deal.
Schade is starting regularly.
His goals are contributing to one of Brentford’s strongest openings to a Premier League campaign.
Selling an important attacker midway through a competitive season would therefore require a very different calculation from selling during a summer rebuild.
Brentford also have contractual protection until 2028.
Nothing forces them into a January decision.
That strengthens their position.
Interested clubs can monitor.
They can ask about availability.
They can prepare future options.
But Brentford control the immediate situation unless either the player pushes for a move or the club receives an offer it considers impossible to reject.
Neither scenario has currently been established.
Arsenal and Liverpool Interest Could Influence Contract Negotiations
Even without a formal bid, external interest matters.
Schade and his representatives know clubs competing at the top end of the Premier League are watching.
Brentford know the same thing.
That can influence discussions around salary, contract length and the player’s future role.
It also means Schade has little incentive to rush into an agreement that does not reflect his growing value.
From Brentford’s perspective, however, extending the contract early could prevent the situation becoming significantly more complicated next summer.
This is why “initial talks” should not be confused with an imminent announcement.
Complex contract negotiations can take months.
The two sides first have to determine whether their expectations are sufficiently aligned.
Brentford’s Strong Start Gives Schade Little Need to Force the Issue
There is another factor working in Brentford’s favour.
Schade is currently playing regularly for a competitive Premier League team.
He does not need to move simply to find minutes.
Brentford began the season unbeaten through five league games and sat fourth when news of the contract discussions emerged.
That environment gives Schade something important: continuity.
He is trusted.
He is scoring.
His performances are earning Germany starts.
A move to Arsenal or Liverpool could provide Champions League-level ambition, but it could also produce greater competition for minutes.
Those are considerations players and their representatives normally weigh when evaluating the next step.
For now, remaining central to Brentford’s attack is clearly helping Schade’s career.
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Chelsea and Tottenham Have Also Tracked Schade
Arsenal and Liverpool are not the only clubs mentioned.
Sky Sports reports that Chelsea and Tottenham have also been admirers of Schade for some time.
Again, admiration is not the same thing as active negotiations.
The significance is broader.
Schade is no longer regarded purely as a promising Brentford player.
He is becoming part of the group of Premier League attackers being tracked by clubs operating with significantly larger transfer budgets.
That is exactly the kind of development Brentford’s recruitment model is designed to produce.
Identify talent before its peak.
Develop it in the Premier League.
Then either retain a high-level player or negotiate from a position of strength if a major offer eventually arrives.
Schade is approaching the stage where that model is tested.
What Happens Next?
The next development to watch is not necessarily a transfer bid.
It is the contract negotiation.
If Brentford and Schade make significant progress towards an extension, speculation around Arsenal and Liverpool may cool, at least temporarily.
A new deal would not make a future transfer impossible.
It would simply strengthen Brentford’s leverage.
If negotiations stall, the conversation changes.
By next summer Schade would be entering the final 12 months of his current contract, and interested clubs would naturally have greater incentive to explore a move.
That makes the present talks strategically important even though the current contract still has almost two seasons remaining.
Kevin Schade’s Future Is Becoming One of Brentford’s Key Decisions
The verified position is relatively straightforward.
Brentford have held initial discussions with Kevin Schade over a new long-term contract.
He has scored three times in the club’s first five Premier League matches this season.
His existing deal runs until 2028 after Brentford signed him permanently from Freiburg on a five-year contract in June 2023.
Arsenal and Liverpool have tracked him, with Sky Sports reporting that they were the most interested clubs as the summer window closed. Chelsea and Tottenham have also monitored his development.
But there is currently no confirmed agreement with another club and no publicly established formal offer.
Brentford are trying to ensure the story remains about Schade’s future in west London rather than his departure.
His form gives the player leverage.
His remaining contract gives Brentford leverage.
And his growing Germany role ensures more clubs will continue watching.
That makes the new contract negotiations considerably more important than a routine extension.
For Brentford, securing Schade beyond 2028 would protect one of their most valuable attacking assets.
For Arsenal, Liverpool and the other clubs following him, the outcome of those talks could determine whether one of the Premier League’s most dangerous emerging wide forwards becomes a realistic transfer opportunity in the months ahead.
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