FC Cincinnati head coach Pat Noonan told The Athletic that Brenner was disheartened when negotiations to go to Nottingham Forest’s Premier League club fell down in January

FC Cincinnati head coach Pat Noonan told The Athletic that Brenner was disheartened when negotiations to go to Nottingham Forest’s Premier League club fell down in January.

Whoa, thinks that some people really didn’t believe in him. Brenner, a blockbuster £11 million signing from Sao Paulo, had a fairly disappointing first season in the United States, scoring just eight goals.

Maybe the astronomical price tag put undue pressure on a young player who was making his first appearances outside of Brazil. Whatever the case may be, Brenner quickly got back on track the next year, scoring 18 goals in only 24 games played.

He piqued the interest of Nottingham Forest, a team with enough depth to field three completely unique starting XIs.

The Athletic reports that Brenner’s failed transfer to the City Ground was due in part to issues procuring a work visa.

Cincinnati will host Houston Dynamo in their MLS season opener on Sunday, and if Brenner continues his stellar play from 2022, he may receive more attention from clubs like Arsenal, Juventus, and AC Milan.

And Noonan claims that if a good enough offer comes through, nobody at TQL Stadium will stand in his way.

He said: “I do (have concerns) because he’s an important part of our team. And, mentally, if you’re not in the right place, that’s tough. He’s got the disappointment. As a player, when you have this ambition and you have this dream and it doesn’t happen in the form that you wanted it to, how do you respond? That’s case by case. I don’t know what it’s going to look like when he returns. But I hope he comes back in a strong way.” 

“It’s a dream for him to go play in a top-five league, specifically the Premier League,” the coach adds. “He’s very much a part of the project. But right now, I think for everybody, the project’s going until the summer and then we’ll re-evaluate,” he said.