Selling Anthony Knockaert would be a risk Brighton shouldn’t take

Fulham’s interest in Anthony Knockaert leaves Brighton with quite a dilemma over what to do with the French winger.

The reasons behind the Cottagers’ interest in Knockaert are obvious. Back in 2016-17, he was genuinely unplayable in the Championship.

On that basis, £15m is a relative bargain if Knockaert provides the goals, the assists and the spark to help Fulham back to the Premier League and all riches that come with being part of English football’s elite. Whether Brighton should sell is less clear cut.

Knockaert has struggled to make a significant impact on the top flight and based on the last two seasons, he’ll have Solly March and Leandro Trossard ahead of him at the start of this campaign. Jose Izquierdo is also a better player, presuming he hasn’t lost too much pace after all his recent knee troubles.

Knockaert’s battle with depression has understandably impacted on his form, but there’s a nagging doubt that he isn’t quite good enough for Premier League football regardless of the tough time he has gone through off the pitch over the last few years.

That’s problematic for him, as Knockaert loves to be the main man. He’s at his best when he’s adored by the crowd and his teammates and he knows he is the star player. He gets that in the Championship but in the Premier League, he’s just another player for struggling Brighton.

That’s ultimately what leads to his petulance. When things don’t go Knockaert’s way, he doesn’t handle it very well. Bournemouth’s Adam Smith can tell you that after Knockaert tried to snap his leg into pieces in frustration after he’d gifted the Cherries their second goal of five at the Amex in April.

There’s also some doubt about whether Knockaert will fit into Graham Potter’s system or even if Potter will take to him. Knockaert is at his best as a traditional winger in a four man midfield.

All the talk about Potter’s possible formations has centred on 3-5-2, 4-2-3-1 and 4-2-2-2. There’s been little suggestion of 4-4-2 or 4-4-1-1, which leads to questions about where Knockaert fits in the new era.

Andy Naylor eluded to this in a tweet on Saturday (which we can see now he’s finally unblocked six years after we offered him some Strongbow on the train back from Leeds).

Naylor said: “Would not surprise me if AK to Fulham happens. Albion have wide options + Graham Potter won’t necessarily always operate with two.”

Would not surprise me if AK to Fulham happens.
Albion have wide options + Graham Potter won't necessarily always operate with two.
Put it this way, more chance of happening than Dunk to Leicester. That is not to say the latter is impossible either, just far more unlikely. #bhafc

— Andy Naylor (@AndyNaylorArgus) July 13, 2019

It’s also doubtful that a new manager would put up with the sort of behaviour we saw against Bournemouth or away at Everton the previous season when Knockaert picked up his other Premier League red card.

Knockaert had so much credit in the bank with Chris Hughton because of his exploits in being the driving force behind promotion. As a result, Hughton was perhaps more lenient than others might have been when Knockaert’s discipline and attitude let him down.

With Potter, every player is starting from scratch. There are no past performances for them to fall back on, which will make it harder for Knockaert to seek forgiveness should he do something stupid again under the new boss.

All of that might have you thinking £15m is a good piece of business for a third or fourth choice winger who may not fit the new manager’s system and who has a questionable attitude.

But it would be a significant risk to sell Knockaert this summer unless Fulham or anyone else are willing to offer silly money – we’re talking a minimum of £20m.

We’ve got high hopes for Trossard given his pedigree and the fact that most of the signings the Albion have made from Belgium have turned out to be a success.

But what if we’re wrong? What if Trossard turns out to be another Alireza Jahanbakhsh or Jurgen Locadia? And what if two knee operations in a year end up taking a huge toll on Izquierdo? Suddenly, Knockaert is fighting with March for the position of first choice winger.

The risk of selling Knockaert would be reduced if Potter is able to get a tune out of Jahanbakhsh and Locadia. If one or both of those belatedly begin to justify the money spent on them, then Knockaert would find himself pushed further down the pecking order and flogging him suddenly doesn’t look like such a gamble.

That’s a pretty bloody big if though. The duo have managed just three Premier League goals and one assist between them – and all of those have been from Locadia, who Potter might view as more of a centre forward than a winger anyway.

Maybe Potter has seen something he thinks he can work with in the much maligned multi million pound pair. That might lead him to think he can afford to let Knockaert go.

After all, part of Potter’s appeal is his reputation as a coach who improves and unlocks potential, both with youngsters at Swansea and with slightly older players who had lost their way before they arrived at Ostersunds.

But if Potter can work wonders with Jahanbakhsh and Locadia, then who’s to say he can’t do the same with Knockaert? Imagine how dangerous Knockaert could be if a manager was able to coax displays out of him like the one we saw at Crystal Palace away in March on a regular basis.

We’ve seen fleeting glimpses of Championship Knockaert in the Premier League. He had a good month last September before being controversially jettisoned in favour of Jahanbakhsh and was in excellent form in March before he lost his head against Bournemouth.

And that’s why he is worth persevering with. Selling him now would represent a huge gamble given how much uncertainty there is surrounding his rivals for a wide position. There is also the tantalising prospect that he could thrive under Potter, rather like how Daniel James did at Swansea.

Knockaert deserves to have until January at least. If he hasn’t made an impact under Potter, then that might be time to consider selling. But not now. It’s a risk that Potter and the Albion shouldn’t be taking.