Will Kaoru Mitoma be the next big sale from Brighton?
Kaoru Mitoma has had an impressive impact on the club in a relatively short span of time. His ability to take shots from inside the box – and closer than almost any other winger or attacking midfielder playing in the Premier League today – along with an eye-catching aptitude for dribbling has made him a prominent fixture in any match.
Of course, Brighton is known for taking a level-headed, pragmatic approach to agreeing transfers. Their reputation among fans, pundits, and punters at 32redsport is a solid one. Generally, if another team is willing to match the value of a player, they aren’t the sort to shy away.
That said, the club isn’t the sort to take a fire-sale approach to getting rid of strong talent. Provided they are not left high and dry without a promising replacement, the team is generally willing to make big moves throughout the transfer window.
Then again, Brighton is also known for prioritising young talent. The team has acted as a springboard for many big names in Premier League history including Solly March, Lewis Dunk, Ben White, Tariq Lamptey, and Gareth Barry.
Kaoru Mitoma made his Premier League debut just over a year ago, and has made some impressive appearances for Bighton. He currently earned 10 goals and 8 assists across 41 appearances – a strong start that has not gone unnoticed by the elite clubs.
Mitoma’s contract
Brighton signed Mitoma back in 2021, although he was immediately loaned to Union Saint-Gilloise. The 25-year old winger cost the club a mere £2.5 million — a relatively small sum compared with the £70 million he is expected to fetch, according to a reputable source at Football Insider.
The club recently went on the record to say that they would be unwilling to include a release clause in any subsequent contracts with Mitoma.
Mitoma’s contract, which isn’t due to expire until the summer of 2025, currently sees him earning a salary of £10,000 per week. With growing interest from the elites, however, it is likely that any new signing would earn him a hefty pay increase.
Which clubs should be interested in Mitoma?
Plenty of clubs are signalling interest in the left winger. Defending champion Manchester City are reported to be among the pack, along with rivals Arsenal, Liverpool, and Manchester United.
On the continent, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid and Barcelona are also looking at Mitoma as a way to bolster their squads for domestic and European ambitions.
Should they want to, all of those teams would have the finances to buy Mitoma. But, which of those teams would benefit most from Mitoma’s arresting penchant for dribbling and chance creation, and which of those teams would Mitoma fit into best for his own ambitions?
Manchester City’s purchase of Jérémy Doku gives them a dribbley-chance-creating winger who is younger than Mitoma and already will have a year with City under his belt before Mitoma would arrive (should that be next summer).
City will only use Mitoma as a back-up, unless they deploy two similar wingers on both flanks – which would mean leaving out another excellent attacker. Unlikely.
Manchester United and Chelsea, in their current organisation, won’t advance Mitoma’s career. He would be better served, in general – even with an attractive offer from Liverpool – moving abroad.
Domestic success is much more likely playing for Bayern, Madrid, or Barcelona. All three regularly reach the latter stages of the Champions League, and his skills will help each team in those decisive and incisive moments that are the fine margins for clinching silverware.
Could Arsenal offer a happy marriage of staying in England while pushing for the silverware of continental Europe giants – and avoiding the chaos of certain English teams? Yes.
Martinelli doesn’t have a firm hold on that left wing position and Mitoma’s skills could unlock new aspects of Arsenal’s attack.
The club is stable. The club is pushing for titles – only adding players who push them in the direction of win-now-not-next-season, which works perfectly for Mitoma who is in his peak
