Brighton need to fill current holes, not just upcoming departures
Following the sacking of Chris Hughton and appointment of Graham Potter, there’s a sense that the 2019-20 season will be a fresh start for a club looking to cement its place in the Premier League for years to come.
Having flirted with relegation last season, Brighton have turned to Potter’s aesthetically-pleasing style of play and ability to operate on a limited budget to enhance the standing of the Seagulls in England’s top flight.
To kick off the new era at the Amex, Potter got to work on adding some new faces to the dressing room. First was Matt Clarke on 21st June.
Clarke comes in from Portsmouth and credited by Potter as being “an imposing central defender”, per the BBC, which perfectly fits Brighton’s defensive ethos.
Next, on 26th June, Brighton achieved somewhat of a coup in bringing in Leandro Trossard from Genk on a four-year deal, as reported by EuroNews.
The 24-year-old has enjoyed an impressive spell in Belgium’s top division, scoring 22 goals and 11 assists in 47 games to help his team win the Jupiler Pro League last season.
However, the signings of left winger Leandro Trossard and centre-back Matt Clarke appear to more be in preparation of future departures as opposed to filling existing gaps in the team.
Not only is defensive stud Lewis Dunk expected to be on his way out, but Anthony Knockaert also has some suitors, with us examining the reports of Fulham’s interest here at We Are Brighton.
Potter’s reign has begun, but he needs a bit more backing from the board, especially if he loses one a star player for a sizeable chunk of cash.
Potter needs support from the board
Potter brings with him a much-needed change of pace for Brighton. While Hughton did a grand job of bringing Brighton to the Premier League and keeping them there, the team needs to evolve and progress to keep the fans entertained and keep the club up.
When he signed on as the new manager, Potter was credited with his ability to produce results while playing an attractive brand of football at Swansea, per the Telegraph.
Brighton doesn’t have a wealth of spending power but have enough to give the new boss the tools that he needs to improve the club’s standing.
In his first game in charge, Brighton ran out to a 5-2 victory against FC Liefering in Austria. Being a pre-season friendly, not much meaning can be placed on the game, but what can be taken away is that the team appears to be adjusting well to Potter’s new style of play.
As we reported at We Are Brighton, Under 23s captain Max Sanders played quite well out of position at right-back, and Alireza Jahanbakhsh even managed to tally his first assist for the Seagulls.
However, Potter is set to lose one of his key players once the Premier League centre-back dominoes start to fall. Leicestershire Live claims that Leicester City are set to lose Harry Maguire to Manchester United for close to £70 million, which will cause them to pursue Lewis Dunk of Albion and pay his £40 million asking price.
Dunk’s replacement could already be at the club in the form of new signing Clarke, but Brighton need to look beyond filling upcoming gaps if the club is to improve under Potter. If Dunk goes, which looks likely as of 15 July, the club should have sufficient funds to bolster in areas of need.
Team needs to win the survival battle ahead
There’s a tough battle ahead for the Albion in the fight for Premier League survival, particularly if Dunk leaves. As of 15 July, Betway has Brighton at 2/5 to stay up, with only Burnley, Norwich, and Sheffield United at longer odds to achieve the feat.
To get relegated, Sheffield United, Norwich, Burnley, Aston Villa, Brighton, and Newcastle United all appear to be in the mix at odds ranging from 8/13 for the Blades to 5/2 for the Magpies. So, to enhance their chances in this upcoming dogfight, Brighton needs to spend money to fill the existing gaps in the team.
At the end of last season, the team lost ‘El Capitan’ to retirement, with talismanic leader Bruno hanging up his boots. As of 15th July, there is still a glaring hole at right-back.
Martin Montoya is the next in line to fill the role but hasn’t exactly been impressive. Ezequiel Schelotto returns from an injury-ridden loan spell to Serie A, but could easily be improved upon in the transfer window.
So, Brighton need to set their sights on a new and exciting right-back: a listing which Derby County’s Jayden Bogle appears to fit perfectly.
Now 18-years-old, Bogle played 50 games for Derby last season, scoring twice and landing nine assists. Media Referee relays that the Englishman can be acquired for £10 million, which could prove to be a bargain down the line.
As crucial as he has proven to be, Glenn Murray won’t last forever, and there is very little by way of a successor at the club.
We Are Brighton found that another loan for Percy Tau is likely and the likes of Tomer Hemed, Florin Andone and Jurgen Locadia have struggled for goals thus far.
Once again, Brighton could look for a younger talent to join the team, perhaps looking to Reading’s emerging star striker Danny Loader.
Put in the top 20 of FourFourTwo’s most exciting English teenage footballers, Loader could be eased into the first team behind the now-35-year-old Glenn Murray, allowing the veteran striker to continue to keep his place while also blooding-in the top talent.
Under Potter, the Amex crowd can look forward to an exciting season of football. However, if the club wants to separate itself from fellow relegation candidates, incoming money needs to be put back into the squad to fill team needs at right-back and another striker behind Murray.
