Brighton & Hove Albion are set to solve their striker crisis after agreeing on a deal for Fiorentina striker Khouma Babacar. The deal is believed to be worth £16.6 million for the 24-year-old Senegalese forward. Brighton had a bid of around £11.5 million rejected by Fiorentina this week, with the Italian club hoping to hold onto Babacar.
The striker has struggled to get into the Fiorentina team after they signed Giovanni Simeone and Cyril Thereau, but according to the report, the striker has vowed to stay in Italy and try and fight for his place. Babacar will add some much-needed quality to Brighton’s striking department after he notched 14 goals in 31 games for the Calcio A team last season.
The move will give Babacar the chance to test himself in the Premier League and hopefully get the goals that will help Brighton stay up in their first season in the English top flight for 34 years.
For me, Babacar is a terrific signing for Brighton for a few reasons. The first is, he is an out and out striker which is exactly what Brighton have been looking for but with the transfer market proving to be so tough, they have struggled to nail down a target with competition from other clubs, being priced out of deals and to top it all off, the only time they managed to get a deal agreed with a striker he failed his medical, so luck has not been on their side.
The second is he fits the bill of the all round striker that Brighton have been looking for as he is very tall at 6′ 3 and possesses a great deal of pace which is exactly what Brighton are looking for.
The third is he is a clinical finisher, which is perfect as Brighton have some great wide options in Anthony Knockaert, Jose Izquierdo, Solly March and Jamie Murphy, who will provide some great service for Babacar to get on the end of.
From what I have watched of Babacar in action for Fiorentina, he seems to be very quick so he can get in behind defences which is exactly what Brighton’s other striker Tomer Hemed and Glenn Murray struggle to do. The 24-year-old forward also has international experience having made his debut for Senegal in March this year in a 1-1 draw against the Ivory Coast. The striker has also played in European competitions for Fiorentina and has an impressive record scoring eight goals in 18 games.
For me, this deal is perfect for Brighton and Babacar as The Seagulls are getting a prolific young striker for a bargain price who, with the signings they have already made, will keep them up.
