If one of the latest reports is to be believed, Premier League’s newcomers, Brighton & Hove Albion are keen to strike a deal with Torino’s midfielder Afriyie Acquah in order to lure him to the Falmer Stadium in the January transfer window. Acquah was a subject of interest from Birmingham City, who were eager to sign him during the summer transfer window, but the deal failed to cross the line.
Brighton have chiselled a decent start to their season after their promotion to the top division, having collected 11 points from their first 9 games and their latest outing saw them clinch a spectacular 3-0 away win against West Ham United. Under the tutelage of Chris Hughton, the Seagulls have been striking the right chords and seeing the manner they have plied their trade, they look capable of keeping their Premier League status intact.
Hughton is aware of the hostility which English football offers and thus, it is likely that we could see him splash the cash during the January transfer window to churn out the requisite signings so that he can uplift the chances of survival of his side. His apparent interest in Acquah makes complete sense, for he is a player of fine calibre and has shown what he is capable of for quite some time now.
A central midfielder by trade, Acquah is more than capable of working effectively from the right-back position as well and one of the first things one would notice about him is his pace.
The Ghana international possesses raw pace in his legs which enables him to make swift transitions and makes it too hard for the opponents to mark or stop him. Besides, he is a strong player and should be able to deal with the physicality of Premier League.
He passes the ball really well, showcases tremendous athleticism and the way he controls the ball is exemplary. However, Acquah doesn’t really excel at marking his opponents and has been questioned many times for his defensive frailties, which needs to be addressed soon. Besides, his positional sense isn’t top notch either and frankly speaking, he is still far from being a complete package.
Nonetheless, the positives which the 25-year-old have on offer is much more than his demerits and given the experience he has under his belt, he should be able to prove himself as an astute asset for Albion. Many clubs would try to sign him and thus, it would be important for Hughton to closely monitor him and the scenario surrounding him.
