Nico Yennaris made 20 appearances for Brentford this season prior to his move to China

Nico Yennaris has joined Beijing Guoan in a permanent move from Brentford, the player has announced.

The midfielder, who started his career at Arsenal, is believed to be the first foreign-born player to be given naturalised citizenship to play football in China.

Yennaris, 25, has qualified for this via his mother's grandparents and, therefore, does not take up one of the Super League side's four foreign player spots.

I’m delighted to announce I’ve signed for Beijing Sinobo Guoan FC as a Chinese citizen. It’s an exciting opportunity for me to play in the birth country of my mother and grandparents. Lastly, big thanks to @AreteLtd for helping make all this happen 👊🏽🇨🇳 pic.twitter.com/boLWtSfWUv — Nico Yennaris (@Nico_Yennaris) January 31, 2019

"I'm delighted to announce I've signed for Beijing Sinobo Guoan FC as a Chinese citizen," Yennaris said on Twitter.

"It's an exciting opportunity for me to play in the birth country of my mother and grandparents.

"I would like to say a big thank you to Brentford and all the staff for the last 5 years. It's a special club with amazing fans and I've enjoyed every minute.

"So many great memories with the club which will stay with me forever. Good luck for the rest of the season."

The clubs are expected to confirm the deal in the coming days, with teams in China able to complete signings until February 28.