Theo Mawene has joined Brentford B on a permanent deal from Preston North End.

The midfielder comes to west London on a long-term deal.

The 17-year-old made his Sky Bet Championship debut for the Lilywhites against Leicester City in the 2023/24 season at the age of 16, with Mawene substituted on late in the game alongside his brother Noah.

Mawene became the seventh-youngest player to debut for Preston, while he and Noah were the first brothers to play for Preston since 1985.

The youngster made one senior appearance in the 2024/25 season, substituted on during Preston’s 3-0 loss to Aston Villa in the FA Cup.

For Preston Under-18s in the FA Youth Cup, Mawene starred this past season, scoring a superb individual goal against Liverpool in a third-round win and assisting once as Preston bowed out against Manchester United in the fourth round.

He also featured in Preston Under-21s Premier League Cup campaign, starting in three games and picking up an assist.

Brentford B head coach Neil MacFarlane said: “We have been tracking Theo for a while and are delighted finally that he will be joining us when we return for pre-season.

“He is a player with a lot of quality and potential at the top end of the pitch. He will add to the creativity already in the squad and with his terrific attitude will complement our culture as we look to keep improving on last season.”