Brentford goalkeeper Mark Flekken has completed a permanent move to Bundesliga powerhouse Bayer Leverkusen for an undisclosed fee.

Flecken joined Brentford from Freiburg in May 2023. During his time with the team, he made 77 appearances for the team in all competitions, contributed 15 clean sheets, and established a stable position as the main goalkeeper in just two seasons.

In the opening match of the 2023-24 Premier League against Tottenham, Flecken made his debut and helped the team draw 2-2. After that, Flecken played almost the entire season, missing only one away game against Manchester United due to illness.

In the 2024-25 season, Flecken also missed only one Premier League game, and his last appearance for the team was in the 1-1 draw with Wolves in the final game of the season. Brentford's sporting director Phil Giles felt sorry for Flecken's departure.

Giles said: "Mark took over perfectly after Raya left the team and showed the level of a top goalkeeper. We originally hoped that he could stay for a long time, but when Leverkusen expressed his willingness and he also wanted to return to be closer to home and have the opportunity to participate in the Champions League, we understood and supported his decision."

First-team goalkeeping coach Manu Sotelo praised Flecken's ability, saying: "Mark is a role model on and off the court. He helped us improve our backcourt organization on the offensive end and contributed three assists in two seasons."

"On the defensive end, he is becoming more and more solid and gradually growing into one of the top goalkeepers in the Premier League. Mark's investment in training and guidance of young goalkeepers are very influential. His departure is our loss, but we are proud of him."