Brentford have taken up the option on Mads Bech’s contract to extend his stay at the club until the summer of 2024.

The defender will spend the rest of the 2022/23 season on loan with Eredivisie side FC Groningen.

Bech has been with the Bees since 2017 and, after initially signing for Brentford B, he quickly progressed to the first-team group.

He has since gone on to play 72 times for Thomas Frank’s side, scoring four goals.

He was part of the squad that won promotion to the Premier League in the 2020/21 season, playing 39 games in all competitions.

He started 32 Sky Bet Championship games that season, scoring twice, as Brentford finished third and won the Play-Off final.

The Danish youth international picked up an injury at the start of the Bees' first Premier League season but still made 15 appearances last term, with 11 coming in the top flight.

He has appeared in four Premier League matches so far this season, having also spent four months on loan with Ligue 1 side OGC Nice.

Phil Giles, Brentford's director of football, said: “Mads had a disappointing loan at Nice earlier in the season and, because he didn’t play any minutes for them, it means we can arrange another loan for him in the second half of the season.

"We decided to trigger the optional year in his contract now so that he has some security to be able to go to Groningen, perform well, and come back to us in the summer with a full season at Brentford ahead of him.

"We wish him good luck in the Netherlands and look forward to seeing him for pre-season training in June.”

FC Groningen currently sit 15th in the Dutch top tier, with 12 points from their 16 matches.

They are currently without a win in six in all competitions, a run stretching back to late October.

Bech’s first involvement could come on Sunday as Groningen take on SC Heerenveen in the Derby of the North.