Vitaly Janelt

Vitaly Janelt is a German defensive midfielder born in Hamburg in 1998. He began playing with Bargfelder SV and SSC Hagen Ahrensburg before joining the Hamburger SV academy at 12. In 2014, Janelt moved to RB Leipzig, where he continued his development in the club’s youth system. He sought senior football with VfL Bochum, initially joining on loan in 2017 before making the transfer permanent. After more than 50 appearances for Bochum, he joined Brentford in October 2020. Janelt helped Brentford win promotion in 2020/21 and scored in the play-off semi-final against Bournemouth. At Brentford, Janelt has operated as a holding midfielder and an energetic number eight, while also covering left-back and centre-back. His positional flexibility and defensive work have made Vitaly Janelt a dependable part of Brentford’s midfield.