Saudi money may be too big for Brighton and Mitoma to turn down
Not sure many people would have had this one on their January transfer window bingo card. Saudi Pro League side Al Nassr want to sign Kaoru Mitoma from Brighton – and might be willing to pay up to £90 million to do so.
Al Nassr have already submitted an opening bid of £54 million for Mitoma, rejected by the Albion. Brighton do not wish to sell one of their best and most important players, especially in the middle of the season.
But how long that resolve will stand should an offer of almost double that come in for Mitoma remains to be seen. Such an amount would look very nice on club accounts in an Excel spreadsheet, which is ultimately where most transfer decision are made these days.
What might tempt the Albion to sell is that they will never come anywhere near being offered such an eyewatering amount of money for Mitoma again.
The only clubs in the world willing to pay north of £60 million for a 27-year-old whose future resale is tiny compared to that outlay are in the Saudi Pro League.
Al Nassr are one of four clubs state-owned through the Saudi Public Investment Fund. It gives them almost unlimited wealth.
Cristiano Ronaldo is their most famous star. Ronaldo is reported to earn a cool £173 million per year, having moved to the Saudi Pro League because of its high standard and wanting to grow the sport. Obviously.
Despite all this money and having Ronaldo, Al Nassr have not won the league title since the 2018-19 season. Their most recent major honour was the Saudi Super Cup in 2000, meaning Ronaldo is to yet claim any significant silverware since arrival at the start of 2023.
Al Nassr currently sit third in the Saudi Pro League with over half the campaign played, eight points behind leaders Al Hilal.
In a bid to try and win something for Ronaldo, Al Nassr have already turned to the Premier League in this transfer window.
Aston Villa striker Jhon Duran is set to complete a £64.5 million switch. He has scored 12 goals in 29 appearances for Villa this season and at 21-years-old, has the best years of his career firmly ahead of him.
As for Mitoma, he is in his prime age-wise. Giving both the Albion and the player a difficult decision to make should an increased offer come in from Al Nassr.
Brighton could sell Mitoma to Saudi Arabia for £90 million and still have too many wide players. None are admittedly as important or dangerous as Mitoma; money though talks.
Fabian Hurzeler uses Simon Adingra, Brajan Gruda, Yankubu Minteh, Solly March or one of the 27 other wingers in the first team squad to replace Mitoma until the end of the season.
Ibrahim Osman may also return to the Amex for next season. Plus that Romanian wonderkid whose name I have forgotten but seems to have dropped off the face of the planet.
Said £90 million could then be reinvested during the summer in three £25 million players for positions the Albion actually need reinforcement. Like defence.
Or a new number nine so that we do not have to suffer the sight of seeing fourth choice centre back Adam Webster coming on up front in a 1-0 home defeat to Everton again.
Mitoma would instantly become the best player at Al Nassr and would presumably be presented with the wages to reflect that status.
Not quite the £3.3 million per week of Ronaldo (a lot of which is tied into image rights). But clearly greater than anything Brighton or any other club in Europe could pay him.
If the Saudi Public Investment fund decide Al Nassr want Mitoma enough, a bid which is small change to them will convince a businessman like Tony Bloom to sell.
It then comes down to whether Mitoma wants to move to Saudi. The money would be life changing. Mitoma though has never come across as someone for whom that overrides everything.
He turned down the first professional contract he was offered to instead go to university, where he wrote that famous thesis on dribbling. Mitoma is not your average footballer.
Which means whilst nine players out of 10 would delight in receiving oil money and turn a blind eye to their Saudi paymasters executing 81 men in one day (hi Jordan Henderson), Mitoma might be different.
Remain at Brighton where he is universally loved. Continue to test himself in the best league in the world? Write more history as he recently did when becoming the Premier League’s all-time leading Japanese goal scorer? Or head to Saudi Arabia for unimaginable riches?
Over to Al Nassr, the Saudi Public Investment Fund, Brighton and ultimately Mitoma to decide if this unexpected January deal has legs.
