Five young players who might breakthrough at Brighton in 2020-21

Graham Potter is a manager who is not afraid to chuck young players into the Brighton first team. Aaron Connolly and Steve Alzate became regulars in the 2019-20 season and the Albion boss fielded a starting line up with an average age of 12 for the Carabao Cup third round tie against Aston Villa.

The production line does not look like drying up anytime soon either. We are not sure if you have heard, but Brighton have this rather good young player called Ben White who is returning to the Amex after a spell on loan with The Leeds United in the Championship.

And while White has garnered all the attention, there are more young Brighton players than just he who could make an impression in the Premier League this season.

Here are five others to keep an eye on in 2020-21.

Jayson Molumby
White was not the only Brighton player earning rave reviews on loan in the Championship last season. Midfielder Jayson Molumby may not have generated the same sort of headlines, but his contribution to Millwall’s surprising challenge for a top six spot was equally impressive as White’s season at Elland Road.

Molumby made 37 starts and five substitute appearances for the Lions in 2019-20. So good were his performances at the Den that he has been called up for the senior Republic of Ireland squad for their September Nations League matches against Bulgaria and Finland.

Millwall manager Gary Rowett lavished praise on Molumby throughout last season. “He is a feisty player and he’s tough. You’ve seen in some games where he has almost taken us pressing the opposition into his own hands.”

“The goal we scored against Brentford (Millwall shocked the Bees 1-0 at the Den in December) typified Jayson’s spirit. He closes one player down, then another and then the goalkeeper – and it ends up with Aiden O’Brien following up and scoring. That is what he is about.”

Not only does he press, but he dictates play too. Potter values players who are comfortable in possession and when Molumby is not relishing a battle in the middle of the park, he can pick a pass.

He is also a natural leader. Molumby captained the Republic of Ireland’s Under 21s and he was voted the fourth best player at last summer’s Toulon tournament, ahead of plenty of notable individuals from the likes of England, Portugal, France and Brazil.

Molumby’s skill set marks him out as a holding midfielder. Given that Potter seemed to be phasing out Dale Stephens post-lockdown, Molumby could provide an intriguing alternative to Yves Bissouma for a first team spot next season.

From Stephens having no real challengers for his position for the best part of five years, he now finds himself potentially relegated to third choice by two young Brighton players.

Should that be the case, then it is a real indication of Brighton’s increasing strength in depth across all departments. And should Molumby not be in with a shot of first team football, do not expect him to stick around – he is already on record as saying he will seek another loan move to play regularly in the Championship 2020-21 if he has to, rather than being paid to sit on the bench in the Premier League.

That sort of attitude should impress Potter and serve Molumby well in the future. He clearly wants to keep his career moving forward.

Max Sanders
The development pathway which Brighton lay out for their young players is well known. A loan spell in League One or Two to gain experience in the lower leagues followed by a chance to prove themselves in the Championship.

White has followed it, as has Christian Walton. Max Sanders took his first steps on a similar journey in 2019-20, spending the season on loan at AFC Wimbledon.

Logic therefore dictates that he will spend 2020-21 with a Championship club. Sanders though has never really followed the standard route during his time with the Albion, so it would be no great surprise to see him deviate from the development pathway by being fast tracked into the senior setup.

Chris Hughton was notoriously reluctant to even name young players as substitutes and yet twice he turned to Sanders to sit on the bench, against Manchester United in the 2017-18 season FA Cup quarter final and when Liverpool won 1-0 at the Amex in January 2019.

Sanders captained the Albion’s Under 23s at the age of 20 ahead of far more experienced players, including in the 2017-18 season play off final in which the Albion won promotion to the top flight of Premier League 2.

Perhaps most crucial to a potential first team breakthrough is his versatility. Potter values players who can fulfil multiple roles, as Alzate has found to his benefit.

Sanders can play as either a deep lying or a more traditional central midfielder and as another young player who is comfortable on the ball, he looks well suited to the demands of Potterball.

Alex Cochrane
While Brighton may have developed impressive options over the past couple of seasons in most positions, the cupboard looks a little bare at left back.

Dan Burn was Potter’s first choice for 2019-20 but he looked very much like a square peg in round hole solution at times and the Albion boss does not seem to rate Bernardo.

Could the answer to Potter’s left back conundrum lie in one of the young players already on Brighton & Hove Albion’s books? Alex Cochrane has been a regular in the Under 23s for two seasons now, racking up 35 Premier League 2 appearances in that time with one goal and five assists following.

He made his first team debut in the Carabao Cup third round defeat against Aston Villa last September and was named among the substitutes for the 0-0 draw against Newcastle United in the penultimate game of the season. You might have forgotten that game happened given how non-eventful it was, but trust us – Cochrane was there.

Portsmouth are said to be interested in taking Cochrane on loan and Potter said in the aftermath of the Newcastle match that Cochrane was “one of two, three or four young players where we need to sit down and think about the right pathway for them. He is a god lad and I have really enjoyed working with him.”

It would not be a surprise if Potter decides to work with Cochrane a lot more in the future- especially if a back three of Lewis Dunk, Adam Webster and White is how Brighton are intending to line up in 2020-21.

Right now, Brighton’s left wing back options are a 6’7 centre back playing out of position in Burn, Solly March who has not had a good game since October and Bernardo who the manager does not trust.

Cochrane meanwhile is extremely comfortable rampaging forward and has been used as a left winger on occasions. He has everything a player needs to be a successful wing back, which might just result in his promotion to the senior squad a lot sooner than anyone would have envisaged.

Taylor Richards
Brighton paid a considerable sum of money to sign Taylor Richards from Manchester City last summer, the 18-year-old arriving at the Amex for a supposed fee of £2.5 million.

At the time of his arrival, Dan Ashworth said, “Taylor is an exciting young talent. He has already played for England at junior levels and pre-season will be a great opportunity for us to see his ability at first hand. He is keen to play senior football, so that is the first challenge for him.”

Richards scored a ridiculously cheeky panenka penalty on his debut last pre-season against Crawley Town which instantly marked him out as one to watch, but he has so far been restricted to playing for the Under 23s bar a run out against Villa in the Carabao Cup.

He played 18 times across all competitions for the development squad, contributing six goals and two assists from an attacking midfield role.

That is not a bad return given Richards is still a teenager. There is no doubt he has talent – Monaco and Inter Milan were sniffing before Brighton struck a deal with City – and he is highly thought of by the England set up.

Rumours have swirled though surrounding his attitude. We already know that Potter does not tolerate those who are not team players, as Anthony Knockaert, Florin Andone and Jurgen Locadia have all found to their cost.

If Richards is to be one of Brighton & Hove Albion’s young players who kicks on this season, then that is something he needs to address. Fingers crossed that he does as the Seagulls will then have a seriously good player on their hands.

Peter Gwargis
The last man on our list of Brighton young players to keep an eye on for this season could provide the biggest surprise of the lot. Swedish forward Peter Gwargis does not seem to be talked about very much, which is odd as he has a decent record of seven goals in 23 appearances from the left wing for the Under 23s.

Gwargis already has experience of senior football under his belt having played for Husqvarna in the Swedish third tier and Jönköpings Södra IF in the second division.

The Albion paid an undisclosed fee rumoured to be just north of £1 million for his services in the summer of 2018. He made his first team bow against Villa and with the Albion still rather short in the striking department, Gwargis could find himself pushed into senior squad contention in much the same way as Connolly was last season.

Although Potter’s phobia of width and wingers is well documented, Gwargis would be at home as the left sided forward in a front three. He could also fulfil that sort of role in a 4-3-3 and may even be capable of playing as a second striker in a 4-2-2-2 as Leandro Trossard – also a natural wide player – has done on occasions.

Alzate came from nowhere last season to become a first team regular and a full Colombian international. Keep an eye on Gwargis to do similar.