Brentford have signed Philipp Hofmann, the club have confirmed.

Hofmann joins the Championship side for an undisclosed fee from 2. Bundesliga side FC Kaiserslautern, subject to international clearance. He has signed a three-year deal, keeping him with the English club until the summer of 2018.

Prolific goal-scoring record

The 22-year-old forward has a fantastic goal-scoring record thus far in his career, one which takes its first step out of Germany with the Brentford switch.

Hofmann came through Schalke 04's youth ranks, scoring six goals in 24 games for their 'B' team in the 2011-12 season as a teenager, but he failed to make an appearance for the first team before leaving them in 2014.

The forward would enjoy several impressive loan spells whilst still on the books of the Gelsenkirchen-based club though, netting seven goals in 31 games for SC Paderborn 07 one year, and 14 in 34 games whilst with FC Ingolstadt 04's first and 'B' teams the following season.

With Kaiserslauten last season, the striker found the back of the net six times in 30 games in the second tier, whilst a total of 18 goals in 36 games for Germany's youth teams, ranging from the under-18s to the under-21s, shows his quality.

Club thrilled with signing

Marinus Dijkhuizen, appointed as Brentford's new manager earlier this summer, is pleased with the arrival of Hofmann and, speaking to the club's website, he praised the forward, describing the 22-year-old as "a target man" who is "physically strong" and a player with "a good header of the ball."

The manager even likened his style of play as one that is "similar" to his, "when [he] played."

Dijkhuizen is happy to have signed "a different type of striker to Andre Gray" too, meaning Hofmann's arrival "gives [Brentford] more tactical options," as well as promise for the future, with the manager citing the new signing's young age as something that will allow him time to "improve his game" with the club.

Co-director of Football Phil Giles also gave his opinion of the player, admitting that he is "delighted" with the striker's arrival as "he has been playing at a good level in Germany" and Giles believes he has the ability to "adapt well to English football."

He revealed that the player "will train with the first team tomorrow" and hopes that "he will be available" for the club's pre-season friendly against Stoke City this weekend.