Sergi Canos to Brentford: Bees fighting with Leeds for former Liverpool protégé, closing in on Ben Stevenson

Expecting to earn £12m from the sale of Scott Hogan, Dean Smith has targeted two of the Football League's most talented 19-year-olds

Sergi Canos impressed on loan with Brentford last season (Getty)

Brentford are targeting teenagers Sergi Canos and Ben Stevenson as they prepare to spend the money West Ham United will pay them for Scott Hogan. Brentford are demanding £12m for Hogan but as the parties continue to negotiate, the west London club are already planning to spend.

Hoping to bring through a new generation of youngsters at Griffin Park, Brentford's top target is Sergi Canos, the Spanish 19-year-old who impressed on loan at there last season. Brentford wanted to keep Canos but they could not afford him, and he was sold to Norwich City for £2.5million last July.

Canos has had a very difficult time at Carrow Road, failing to impress Alex Neil and making just three Championship appearances, all of them back in August, and only one from the start. Norwich are prepared to sell Canos if they can recoup the £2.5million they paid for him, although they would also be open to loaning him out. Canos still has three and a half years left on his Norwich contract although he is unlikely to feature again as long as Neil is in charge.

Brentford are the favourites to sign Canos, now that they can finally afford him. Leeds United are also keen on the winger, and could afford him, meaning that Canos has a simple choice to make between the two teams. He knows that he would likely find more first-team opportunities at Brentford than at Elland Road. Bristol City, who Canos turned down for Norwich last summer, are also interested again, as are Fulham.

Brentford want Canos to be part of a youth revamp should Scott Hogan leave (Getty)

Dean Smith also wants to sign Ben Stevenson from Coventry City, and have already made two bids for the 19-year-old midfielder. The first bid of roughly £500,000 was made last Monday and quickly rejected. A second bid closer to £1m was made on Friday and as of last night the Coventry City board were still considering it. Coventry are resigned to the fact that they will lose their most talented young player but want closer to £1.5m before they will sell Stevenson.