Brentford completes £14 million catch of Scotland defender Aaron Hickey from Bologna on a four-year deal as Thomas Frank makes his first signing of the summer
Scottish defender Aaron Hickey has become Brentford’s first summer signing
He has joined a four-year contract with Bologna for a reported fee of £14 million
The 20-year-old made 48 appearances in two seasons in Italy
Brentford manager Thomas Frank called Hickey a player with ‘great potential’
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Brentford has completed the signing of 20-year-old fullback Aaron Hickey.
The defender joined the Bees late on Friday for a reported fee of £14million, subject to international approval, and the deal was confirmed this morning.
Hickey is a full-fledged international for Scotland and has signed a four-year contract at Brentford Community Stadium.
Aaron Hickey is a fixture for Scotland at international level at the age of 20
He played 48 games for Bologna in two years in Italy after coming over from Hearts
Hickey has four caps for Scotland and was featured in their World Cup qualifier against Ukraine in June.
Born in Glasgow, Hickey spent time in the Hearts youth system before attending Celtic academy.
He returned to Hearts before appearing in the first team, making his debut for the Edinburgh-based club in May 2019.
He signed for Bologna in 2020 for £1.5 million and made 48 appearances for the Italian club in two years, scoring five goals.
He was also nominated for the Golden Boy Award in 2021.
Brentford manager Thomas Frank is looking to improve from 13th place last season
On completion of the signing, Brentford manager Thomas Frank told: the club website: “I’m really glad we were able to capture Aaron. What he has already achieved in his career is very impressive. He is only 20 and has played a full season in Scotland and nearly two seasons in Serie A.
“We think Aaron is a player with a lot of potential, who already has an impressive number of matches at a good level to his name.
“We believe we have proven that we are a good club for players to maximize their potential. We think we can help him get even better.
Hickey is a versatile defender who can play on either side or in central midfield.
Frank added: “Aaron is a rare thing in modern football because he is equally good with both feet. He is an attacking fullback with good creativity, he has a great cross from the ball and scored in Serie A last year.”