Matthew Benham has denied suggestions that Brentford have given Hull permission to talk to Andre Gray and the Bees have turned down a bid for their star forward.

The Tigers have been tracking the 18-goal striker all summer but, after the sales of Robbie Brady and James Chester, have the funds to launch a bid.

However, their bid has been deemed derisory by the Bees, with Luton also due a sell-on fee, despite reports that they had accepted it and given the striker their blessing to talk.

And Brentford owner Benham took to Twitter to deny these claims.

Brentford stood firm with Wigan over Adam Forshaw last summer and the midfielder only left for the DW Stadium in the final days of the transfer window once the club received their valuation.

The Bees will also be wary about dealing with the Tigers after falling foul of paperwork over Michael Turner's sale to Sunderland, with the Griffin Park outfit expecting a healthy sell-on clause.

Brentford remain in the market for a striker with Marinus Dijkhuizen wanting to add a 'number 10' to his squad.