Reports are emerging that newly promoted Brighton and Hove Albion are ready to smash their transfer record to land Werder Bremen midfielder Thomas Delaney. The Seagulls have been pursuing the 25-year-old since his time with FC Copenhagen in the Danish Superliga. But Bundesliga outfit Bremen were quick to pounce on the Danish International midfielder.
However, Chris Hughton’s side are now making some serious inquiries regarding the services of the highly talented midfielder despite Bremen’s resistance to selling him off. After cooling off the interest on Aaron Mooy, who is on his way to Huddersfield, Thomas Delaney now leads the transfer target list for the newly promoted Premier League side, who are ready to throw everything at it.
Delaney only signed a contract with Bremen in January which should keep him with the Northern giants until 2021. Meaning the Seagulls need to gather some serious cash in order to hijack the midfielder and bring him to the Premier League. But the question remains. Will the move prove valuable for Brighton and Hove Albion? How well can he suit under the new conditions?
In truth, it would make a lot of sense for Brighton to cash in on Delaney just because he has been great for Bremen so far. Bremen were struggling at the wrong end of the table when he joined in January but his inclusion in the side was very effective for Die Grunweiss. The Danish midfielder of Irish-American descent was a part of Bremen’s famous second half streak which led them from being one of the top relegation candidates to strongly challenging for the Europa League positions.
Although we can’t say he has been quick to make an impact with his new side, the Bremen midfield steadily became more persuasive and stable after the inclusion of the 25 year old. Despite tasting defeats in all of his first four games in the Bundesliga, Delaney played a major part in the seven matches there on, winning six of them and remaining unbeaten during that streak.
So what makes him so special in the middle of the pitch? Well, one of the things which sticks out the most is his willingness to get behind the ball and cover his defensive troops, which can be a great asset for any club, particularly for the teams who like to play on the counter, so it could be a boon for Brighton as well. Delaney is also a true fighter in the middle third of the pitch, he never gives up chasing the ball nor is he afraid to go into tackles. In just 13 matches, Delaney has been involved in 73 aerial duels, managing to win 37 of them.
For Chris Hughton, it seems to be a match made in heaven. Counter attacking is Brighton’s main strength and with the level of compactness they like to play with, Delaney could fit into the team very well.
Another key factor will be the presence of Pascal Gros. The Seagulls have already managed to sign the talented number ten from Ingolstadt quite early in the transfer window. Considering how much success Delaney had playing alongside a creative midfielder like Clemens Fritz at Bremen, the involvement of Pascal Gros in the Brighton midfield can only make things better for the Danish International.
Overall, the signing of Thomas Delaney from Werder Bremen would do a world of good for the newly promoted English club who will look to announce their arrival into the top flight with a strong performance. And the arrival of Delaney can only strengthen their overall squad ethic. However, the chances of hijacking the midfielder, who is still bound to Bremen with a long term contract, looks rather bleak in our humble opinion.
Stat Credit: Squawka.com
