Brentford boss Andy Scott reckons the club still have work to do to convince Ipswich Town loanee Pim Balkestein his long-term future is at Griffin Park.
The 22-year-old, who starred in Saturday’s 1-0 win over Leyton Orient, put pen to paper on a deal to switch to west London until the end of the season with a view to making a permanent move to the club in the summer.
A fee has been agreed with the Tractor Boys although personal terms are yet to be agreed with Balkestein, and Scott admits the deal is not done until his signature is on a contract come the end of the season.
“Pim coming back is a deal we worked very hard on and it was close even at the end,” he said.
“It just shows how much he enjoyed his time here in December and he was desperate to come back and play for us.
“He was really keen on it and it was just sorting out the finance with Ipswich. We’re delighted to have him here and hopefully we can show him enough to keep him longer as well.
“It is up to us as a football club and me as a manager to provide the incentive for him to sign, knowing we are moving in the right direction and match the ambitions he has.
“He is a young lad who wants to play at the highest level and we’ve got to show him that we are progressing in that direction and can achieve the same goals he has.”
loan striker Lewis Grabban headed the winner on his Bees debut at the weekend and Scott thinks he will only improve during the course of his one-month spell at the club.
“Lewis came in on Thursday and it is a bit of a tricky one to get him involved, but he can play wide right as well as up front and once he gets to know everyone he will be even better,” he said.
“He has got good attributes and Millwall paid a few quid for him. We’re delighted we’ve got him here to bolster the squad and give us a few more options.”
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