Brighton Roundup: Kudus Deal Agreed, Cole Palmer Negotiations Continue, and More
In a determined effort to bolster the squad ahead of some expected (and already confirmed) departures, Brighton & Hove Albion have been involved in several transfer pursuits over the last few weeks as we enter into the final month of the transfer window.
Brighton’s pursuit of Ajax star Mohammed Kudus has been nothing short of a rollercoaster ride. My understanding is that negotiations began back in June when the Seagulls opened discussions at the £30 million mark. However, Ajax stood firm, demanding around £43 million for the highly-rated attacking midfielder.
Stiff competition for Kudus ensued, with Newcastle, Arsenal, Manchester United, and Liverpool all expressing interest in the talented youngster. Despite the intense competition for his signature, he is prioritising guaranteed playing time and his appreciation for Roberto De Zerbi are influencers in his decision to join the club.
After protracted negotiations and a stalemate situation, Brighton managed to secure an agreement in the £34-35 million region, a figure close to their initial set out budget. Personal terms agreement is on the horizon and the player is ‘comfortable’ with how talks are preceding.
In this bid to further add options in midfield and going forward alongside Kudus, Brighton have also set their sights on Manchester City’s young talent, Cole Palmer. However, negotiations with City have proven to be difficult.
The Manchester-based club were also not the “mystery club” linked to Moises Caicedo’s bid, and they currently show no sign of wavering in their stance regarding Palmer. Regarding rumours of some sort of swap-deal, it may be a route we explore but it is not likely the eventual route we go down.
While it remains unknown who could go the other way in a swap deal including Palmer, we do know that Man City have shown interest in Kaoru Mitoma and Julio Enciso, but prospects for these deals appear slim at this stage. Both players seem unlikely to make a move at this stage.
In terms of any other outgoings, Brighton defender Jan Paul Van Hecke has attracted interest from European clubs, with proposals in the range of £8-10 million being presented.
However, these have been almost immediately turned down with De Zerbi having expressed his desire to keep him at the club.
Finally, reports have been circulating linking Brighton to Inter Milan midfielder, Kristjan Asllani but as of now, there has been no official contact between the two clubs. Asllani is not an immediate priority for Brighton. We will have to see if this develops any further but for now, he’s just a name on a list.
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