Chris Hughton has been trying to do every possible thing to make Brighton & Hove Albion’s next season in the Premier League a memorable one. The Seagulls finished second in the Championship last season and earned the license to play in the Premier League.
Hughton has already signed some exciting new players who will be seen wearing the famous blue and white stripes next season. The experienced manager is likely to sign a few more players and if reports are to be believed, the gaffer is eyeing Crystal Palace midfielder, James McArthur.
The 29-year-old is hugely experienced in the Premier League and Hughton believes his expertise would help them finish in a good position. Frank de Boer is expected to experiment with his starting lineup and it is understood the 29-year-old doesn’t feature in his plans.
The Dutch manager opted to play a more attacking based 3-4-3 in the pre-season friendly against Liverpool and McArthur is unlikely to fit in this setup. Adequate cover in the midfield is already present as of now so Boer won’t block his move if the player really wants to leave.
The Eagles have put a paltry £2m price tag on the player so it won’t be difficult for the Seagulls who have already shown they have the money to spend on the right kind of players and they will be looking towards some smart acquisitions in near future.
Brighton’s Sussex rivals Aston Villa have been tracking the player for quite a while as Steve Bruce wants to maintain a certain balance. Considering Villa’s stature, hijacking players from the Premier League these days is a not a big deal for them.
They recently brought in John Terry from Chelsea and Glenn Whelan from Stoke City and the gaffer is looking for some more quality signings and McArthur fits the bill perfectly.
Hull City are also planning to take the player to Championship next season given his experience in the second tier. The 29-year old’s contract will be running out in the next season so the Eagles would like to recoup some cash rather lose him for free in the next season.
The Scottish international started 24 times last season and found the net five times. Brighton could be the preferred destination for the player as he will be an automatic first choice in the starting lineup and compared to Villa and Hull, the midfielder would like to have a shot at another season in the Premier League.
