The conundrum facing Pascal Gross and Brighton

The future of Pascal Gross as a Brighton player has never been more in doubt than this summer. Will he stay? Will he go? It is a question that nobody seems to have an answer to. Yet.

Gross has made no secret of his desire to finish his career back in Germany. And now one of the biggest clubs in the Fatherland – and the team he apparently supported as a boy – are wanting to offer him that opportunity.

Brighton might have been able to fend off interest had it been only Eintract Frankfurt interested this summer. But Borussia Dortmund is another beast entirely.

Champions League football. Playing in front of the Yellow Wall every week. Challenging for the biggest trophies in German and European football. Not many are offered that kind of opportunity. Let alone at the age of 33.

Gross though is not your typical footballer. Like a fine Liebfraumilch, he gets better with age. The 2022-23 season saw Gross have his best goal-scoring season for Brighton. 2023-24 brought his best assists haul.

He received his first international call up last September and scored his first goal for Germany with a late winner against Ukraine in a pre-Euro 2024 friendly.

Before the Albion soared into the top six of the Premier League under Roberto De Zerbi, Gross had remained relatively unknown amongst the general German football public. But not anymore. And it leaves both Brighton and Gross facing a conundrum.

Pascal Gross current Brighton contract

Gross currently has one year remaining on his Brighton contract through to the summer of 2025. The Albion have offered him a new deal. Depending on who you believe, that would either extend his stay to 2026 or 2027.

Under normal circumstances, a player entering the final year of their contract would have a bearing on whether their club decide to sell. Better to recoup some money now than lose said player on a free 12 months later.

The Albion though are unlikely to be thinking in those terms. Gross has been such a fantastic player and good servant for Brighton that his future should not be dictated by a couple of million quid.

Especially having cost Brighton only £3 million when joining from Ingolstadt in the summer of 2017. He has more than repaid that fee and earned the right to decide his own future; even if that means the Albion accepting what would appear a low bid from Dortmund to bow to Gross’ wishes.

Can Brighton convince Gross to stay?

The question from a Brighton point-of-view then is can they convince Gross to stay? Incoming head coach Fabian Hurzeler has already spoken about how much he wants to keep Gross at the Amex.

Hurzeler is said to have “big plans” for Gross. It is not difficult to see why. Gross’ technical ability made him one of the most important players for the style of football played by De Zerbi.

With HurzelerBall being mighty similar to DeZerbiBall, Gross would be certain to fulfil a leading role. Something he might not be guaranteed of at Dortmund.

If Gross wants to keep his place in the German national squad, he presumably needs to be playing every week. A move to Dortmund is a step into the unknown in that regard. And that might be enough to keep him at Brighton.

Fabian Hurzeler and Pascal Gross

Hurzeler’s statements about Gross becoming public have not only highlighted the importance of Der Kaiser to Brighton. They have also put a bit of pressure on the club to try and keep Gross.

The two players we so far know Hurzeler is hot on are Gross and Undav. Stuttgart are rumoured to be ready to activate the right-to-buy clause in their loan of Undav, meaning the Albion will be powerless to keep the forward.

It has been reported that Brighton do then have a buyback option for Undav. Which means we could be in the fantastic position where Stuttgart purchase Undav for £17 million, only for the Albion to bring him immediately back for £18 million. One for The List.

But say Stuttgart do sign Undav and Brighton opt to avoid the farce of buying back their own player. In the same summer, Gross leaves for Dortmund.

The Hurzeler Reign would then be starting with two players the manager has said he wants to work with being sold. Not the greatest of beginnings.

The importance of Pascal Gross to Brighton

No Brighton fans need an introduction to how important Gross is to Brighton. He created more opportunities than any other Albion player last season, scoring five times and assisting 13.

In total, he has 84 goal involvements – 32 goals and 52 assists – in seven seasons. He is the club’s record Premier League scorer. Without Gross, Brighton would probably have been relegated in either of the 2017-18 or 2020-21 campaigns.

For Chris Hughton, Gross was the creative spark who kept the Albion up. Graham Potter discovered how important Gross was by dropping him from his starting XI for two periods.

The first saw Brighton set a club-record for worst start to a top flight season, winning just two of their opening 18 games in 2020-21.

The second resulted in a six game losing streak through the Spring of 2022 in which the Albion scored only once. Gross of course got the assist.

De Zerbi meanwhile described Gross as one of the best players he had ever worked with. Under the Italian, Der Kaiser played at right back, left back, holding midfield and as a number 10. His ability to score and assist no matter where deployed was astonishing.

How do you replace a player that good and that important? Brighton face an almost impossible task trying to do so. A midfielder who contributes 13 assists will set you back £40 million. It is why they must do everything in their power to convince Gross to stay.

Pascal Gross and a return to Germany

Convincing Gross to stay is easier said than done. After Brighton beat Manchester United 4-0 at the Amex in their final home fixture of the 2021-22 season, Gross said: “I’ve been here for five years, that’s a long time when you come from abroad but I’m enjoying it.”

Der Kaiser has now been here seven years. Even taking into account that age has been no barrier to his output so far, Gross turns 34 in June. Logic dictates he has one last big contract in him. This might be his final opportunity to return to Germany.

There are both professional and private reasons for Gross wanting to do so. The appeal of finishing his career in his homeland is obvious.

Gross’ children are also reaching the age where education becomes a priority. He is said to want them schooled in Germany, which is another factor in returning to the Fatherland.

Surely the biggest consideration of all though is that Gross’ stock has never been higher. And 12 months is a long time in football.

If Brighton struggle under Hurzeler or Gross experiences a downturn in form, will the interest still be there from Dortmund next summer?

What if he stays at the Albion, only to pick up an injury which leaves him on the shelf and means no offers from clubs in Germany are forthcoming?

The opportunity to sign for Dortmund – or Frankurt – may not come around again.

The decision should be down to Gross

Whilst Brighton need to fight tooth and nail to keep Gross, they should ultimately not stand in his way if he decides this is the summer to leave England.

261 appearances. Those aforementioned 32 goals and 52 assists. Gross is now considered by many Albion supporters to be the greatest Brighton player ever.

And rightly so. He has been phenomenal for the Seagulls, earning the right to decide his own future. If that means departing the Amex, so be it.

Gross will leave with the best wishes of everyone at Brighton; the most disappointing part being Albion supporters were not able to offer Der Kaiser the send off he deserved in person.

But hey, that can be rectified when he returns to unveil his statue outside the Amex in a couple of years. After he has helped Dortmund win the Bundesliga, DFB Pokal and Champions League treble.