TEHRAN – Saman Ghoddos will leave English Premier League side Brentford this summer, the club announced.

He signed for the Bees from French side Amiens in September 2020. He initially joined on loan, with the deal made permanent in January 2021. The 29-year-old has played 86 games for Brentford and scored five goals.

“Saman has been a pleasure to work with,” said head coach Thomas Frank, “he was part of the group that gained promotion to the Premier League and has been a valuable member of the squad during the following two seasons.

“Whenever he has been called upon, and wherever he has been asked to play, Saman has never let us down. He is a top professional and a top person.

“At this stage of his career, it’s so important that Saman has regular game time. We cannot offer Saman the minutes that he desires, so it is with sadness that we have all decided that he should have the chance to pursue new opportunities as a free agent.

“I wish Saman the best of luck for the future and thank him for his efforts during his time with us.”

Phil Giles, director of football, added: “Saman has contributed some key moments in his time with us, such as winning a last-minute penalty to win us the game last season against Watford.

“But what isn’t seen from outside our training ground is the massive impact he has made during training and around the team, even when he wasn’t starting. He’ll be a big miss and everyone at Brentford wishes him well in the next phase of his career.”

Ghoddos made 47 appearances in all competitions during the 2020/21 campaign – including all three of Brentford’s Play-Off games – as the club gained its first promotion to the Premier League.

He has played 30 games in the top flight and scored a stunning goal during a defeat to Burnley in October 2021.

12 of Ghoddos’s 34 appearances for Iran have come during his time at Brentford. He was part of his nation’s squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar and featured in a 1-0 group-stage defeat to the U.S. in Doha.