Brighton & Hove Albion are lining up a £20m bid for FC Spartak Moscow striker, Zé Luís to bolster their attacking lineup in the coming weeks. The Seagulls have scored just 17 points in the league and are in dire need of a goal scorer to escape relegation.
The Russian outfit are currently right in the middle of the winter break and are out action for another two months. Zé Luís has been a key figure for Spartak this season with 4 goals and 6 assists in 14 appearances. They are 8 points behind league leaders, Lokomotiv Moscow and are eager to defend their title. His efforts spearheaded the side to win the Russian Premier League and the Russian Super Cup last season.
Spartak has already rejected a £5m bid from Brighton and are hesitant to let go of their key man ahead of the second half of the 2017-18 campaign.
However, Brighton’s ambitions of landing his services are still strong as they have come back with club record-breaking fee. Albion is currently in the 12th spot of the Premier League after their 2-2 home draw against Bournemouth in their opening game of the year. From a distance that might look ideal for a freshly promoted side, but if you look closely, a gap of only three points separate them from the bottom three.
An ageing Glen Murray is the club’s highest goal scorer with 5 goals followed by Pascal Groß. The struggle to find the back of the net is a growing concern around the Falmer Stadium. In order to ensure survival in top-flight English football, you need a player like Zé Luís to lead the attacking lineup.
The 26-year-old came into the limelight while playing for SC Braga before moving to the Otkrytiye Arena in the summer of 2015. He has registered 15 goals and 4 assists for the senior side of the Portuguese outfit and has played a crucial part in his national team.
Zé Luís has capped 17 appearances for Cape Verde and propelled the side to the Africa Cup Of Nations 2015 with a goal against Zambia.
A perfect number nine and a versatile presence in the attacking lineup, the Fogo-born striker might take some time to adjust to the pace of the Premier League. He might also hit the ground running on his arrival motivated by the lucrative deal from the south coast club. The Albion fans will be excited to see a European talent lead the remainder of the campaign from up top.
