Brentford have signed midfield player Dru Yearwood from Southend United. The 19-year-old completed a medical earlier today, Monday 5 August, before finalising the move for an undisclosed fee. The teenager signed a four-year contract, with an option for an extra, and will train with The Bees this week ahead of the Sky Bet Championship game away to Middlesbrough on Saturday.

Dru has been with Southend for almost a decade and has played First Team football for the past two seasons. He came through the youth ranks at the Essex club and turned professional in the summer of 2017 when he was just 17. He made his debut early that season in the EFL Cup and his first league appearance came in September 2017.

Dru has been a part of the Southend first team group for the past two seasons and was called in to an England Under-18 squad in the summer of 2018 but was unable to travel because of injury. He played 28 games in all competitions in 2017/18 and a further 33 last season. He was at Griffin Park to watch The Bees against Birmingham City on Saturday after being given permission to discuss a move to West London and completed the switch this afternoon.

Thomas Frank, Brentford FC Head Coach, said: “Dru has the qualities we want in a midfield player at Brentford. He is very good at getting around the pitch and does the work we want in terms of pressing and winning the ball back. He is a young player and there will be more to come from him. Working with our coaches will help his development and I believe we will see that quickly. I want to welcome Dru to Brentford, he will be a great addition to our squad.”

Phil Giles, Brentford FC Co-Director of Football, added: "We have been watching Dru develop over the past 12 months, and his playing record for a 19-year-old is impressive. With Romaine Sawyers moving on we had a space in the squad which we wanted to fill with someone who has a lot of potential, and we are pleased to have made this signing."