Mamadou Sangare could have been competing in the Champions League this week. The interest from elite European clubs was real — yet the Mali international walked away from all of it to join Brentford on a club-record deal.

"There were a lot of clubs," Sangare told Sky Sports from Brentford's training ground. "But I'm not going to give any names, out of respect. For me, the most important thing was to know where I could progress. And Brentford was the best place for my development."

The 24-year-old arrived having starred for RC Lens in one of French football's most remarkable seasons — helping them finish as Ligue 1 runners-up and French Cup champions, while earning a place in the Ligue 1 Team of the Year ahead of Paris Saint-Germain pair Joao Neves and Fabian Ruiz.

A pitch unlike anything he had seen before

Sangare was not simply seduced by Brentford's project on paper. The west London club's detailed recruitment presentation — the same approach that convinced Bryan Mbeumo to join from Troyes and ultimately led to his £71 million sale to Manchester United — left the midfielder stunned.

"It was incredible. It was the first time I've ever seen something like that," he said. "Brentford has a well-placed structure. It was something I've never seen before — it really pushed me to choose this club."

"He showed me his style of play and what he expected from me. He also showed me the tools which could allow me to improve — my weaknesses and what I needed to work on. When a coach speaks to you like that, it shows that he wants to see you improve."

Bench role does not dim his ambition

After two assists on his Premier League debut as Brentford hammered Tottenham on the opening weekend, Sangare has since found himself on the bench for the matches against Chelsea and Aston Villa, competing for a starting berth with the experienced Vitaly Janelt and Mathias Jensen — as well as the emerging Yehor Yarmoliuk.

"He's the coach, he's the boss," Sangare said with composure. "It's up to me to work even harder to get my place back — though I wouldn't say I lost it. The most important thing is the team. Whether I start or not, as long as they need me, I'll be there."

His numbers, even in limited minutes, are striking. Sangare leads the entire Premier League in tackles per 90 minutes, and only Manchester City's Elliot Anderson has won more ground duels this season.

'Why can't we reach the top two?'

Brentford remain unbeaten in the Premier League — having defeated Chelsea and Tottenham and drawn with Aston Villa — and sit fourth after six matches. Liverpool visit the Gtech Community Stadium on Saturday.

Sangare, who helped lift Lens into Europe and to cup glory, sees no ceiling for what Brentford can achieve. "The goal is to reach Europe and win as many games as possible," he said. "Why can't we also reach the top four, or the top two? Why can't we cause a real surprise? We have a very good team with very good players, and a great coach."

With transfer speculation already circling him — Brentford have collected nearly £200 million from the sales of Mbeumo, Yoane Wissa, Ivan Toney, and David Raya — Sangare is keeping his focus narrow. "They put a lot of money in me. They trusted me. It's up to me to do everything to make it happen. I have to focus on the team — win games and improve the team by getting our goals."