Fears 22-goal Premier League star will be one season wonder

Igor Thiago may be one of the Premier League’s form frontmen but don’t expect him to hit the same heights next season.

That’s according to talkSPORT pundit Gabby Agbonlahor, who was discussing the burly Brazilian on Breakfast on Friday morning.

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The Brentford striker was nominated for the Premier League Player of the Season award along with Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes, Manchester City pair Erling Haaland and Antoine Semenyo, Nottingham Forest star Morgan Gibbs-White and Arsenal trio David Raya, Gabriel Magalhaes and Declan Rice.

Thiago has scored 22 league goals this season, a haul only bettered by Haaland, after an injury-hit debut campaign in England.

The 24-year-old, who won his first Brazil cap in March and is tipped to lead the Selecao attack at the World Cup this summer, was restricted to just 168 minutes of league action following his £30m arrival from Club Brugge owing to a serious knee injury.

However, he’s made up for lost time with a standout campaign for Keith Andrews’ European chasing Bees outfit.

And his performances haven’t gone unnoticed, with a host of Premier League sides linked with a summer move for Thiago, despite the forward penning a new deal with Brentford back in February.

Agbonlahor, though, has warned against potential suitors from making a move for Thiago.

The former Aston Villa man was quick to praise Thiago and that his Player of the Season nomination was ‘deserved’ but hinted that the Bees man may be a ‘one-season wonder’.

Andy Goldstein asked whether Thiago deserved to be nominated for the accolade, to which Agbonlahor said: “Definitely, he’s been fantastic this season. Hold up play, running in behind, strong, aggressive, and his finishing has been very good this season.

“He deserves to be nominated but I think he’s the sort of striker that maybe next season we’re not talking about this level of goals.

“I can imagine that if he got a big move, it doesn’t work at that club.”

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Goldstein asked why that was, to which Agbonlahor replied: “I don’t know, I just look at him… recently in certain games I’ve watched him, he’s missing so many chances.

“I just look at him as the sort of player that, maybe, next season he’s not as good as this season.”

The ultimate one-season wonder

Thiago would would have to go some way to match Michu’s exploits, the Spaniard, to some, the Premier League’s ultimate one-season wonder.

Michu moved to Swansea in 2012, joining from La Liga side Rayo Vallecano for just £2m.

The former striker went on to score 18 league goals in his debut season in South Wales.

However, he struggled to maintain that level of form in his second campaign for the Swans, netting just twice in 2013-14 before departing permanently for Spanish side Langreo in 2015.

He’d go on to return to Oviedo in 2016 but called time on his career at the age of 31 due to an ankle problem.