Brighton are showing some real intent in the January window to change their current predicament in the Premier League. They sit just a point above the relegation zone and Chairman Tony Bloom has once again allowed Chris Hughton to spend big money to help him guide The Seagulls away from relegation fears.
This was signified last Friday when Brighton announced the signing of Jurgen Locadia from PSV for a club-record fee of £14.1 million. The 24-year-old has an impressive goal scoring record at PSV in general and this season in particular. He has got nine goals and six assists in his 15 appearances this season for the Dutch giants. Locadia will provide a striker Hughton has been looking to add for quite a while as he is pacey, strong and has a good eye for goal so the complete striker.
However, Hughton and the recruitment team do not look to be stopping there as with Izzy Brown’s loan having to be terminated due to a knee ligament injury which he suffered in the win over Crystal Palace at the start of the month in the FA Cup. This means that Hughton is looking to add another attacking option to have and there are two players which are being linked.
The first would see a return to the club for a man from Argentina. Of course, I’m talking about Leicester City striker, Leonardo Ulloa. The Argentinian had a successful year-long stint at Albion where he made 50 appearances and scored 23 goals before being sold for a club-record fee of £10 million to Leicester. Ulloa has scored 18 goals in 86 appearances for Leicester. He is struggling to get football this season with him behind Jamie Vardy, Islam Slimani, Shinji Okazaki and Kelechi Iheanacho meaning him and fellow Leicester striker Ahmed Musa are down the lower end of the pecking order and look to have to go somewhere else in order to get regular first-team football.
The Daily Mail reported a couple of days ago that Brighton and Aston Villa are battling it out to sign the 31-year-old striker but it seems both clubs want to loan the striker, but Leicester want to sell him permanently rather than sending him out on a short-term loan deal.
The other striker, The Seagulls are interested in is Newcastle striker Aleksandar Mitrovic. Mitrovic had been the main man for Newcastle up top come the start of the season, but after a back injury led to a month on the sidelines for the Serbian striker, he has fallen down the pecking order, thanks to the recovery from injury of Dwight Gayle. Mitrovic has a decent scoring record, he has 14 goals in 65 games for Newcastle since joining from Anderlecht three years ago. His record internationally for Serbia is even better having scored eleven goals in 33 appearances for his country. Mitrovic would give Brighton something different as he is strong, good in the air, pretty pacey and also has a good eye for goal. The only worry for many Brighton fans is the temperament of the Serbian. He has been known to be sent off and has quite a temper on him which is very similar to that of Diego Costa.
Whoever, Albion decide to add to their frontline knowing the way manager Hughton and the recruitment team are with signing players they will make sure they get a striker who they feel will thrive at Albion and give 100% for the team.
