Bees snap up Portugal U21 star Betinho

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Brentford have signed Portugal Under-21 international Betinho on a season-long loan from Sporting Lisbon.

The 21-year-old has made three brief appearances for Sporting’s first team but played eight times in the Portuguese top flight last season while on loan with Vitoria Setubal.

He was part of the Sporting squad that finished third in the 2012-13 Uefa NextGen Series, a Champions League-style tournament for academy teams that was partly the brainchild of current Brentford manager Mark Warburton.

His arrival will come as a welcome boost after the news earlier on Monday that summer signing Scott Hogan would face a lengthy spell on the sidelines with a knee injury.

Betinho, who has been with Sporting since the age of 11, scored 16 goals in 49 league games for the club’s B team, who play in the second tier of Portuguese football.

He has played for Portugal at every level from under-15 to under-21, including in the prestigious Toulon tournament last year.

Warburton said: “He is quick, strong and technically gifted and he shone in a very good team that included Joao Teixeira, who is known to Brentford fans.

“We are looking forward to him making a positive contribution in the season ahead.”

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