Brighton & Hove Albion aren’t unacquainted with the agony of losing out on promotion to the top tier after coming so close to an uplift, yet withering at the end. However, they have regrouped themselves and have hit the ground running ever since the 2016-17 Sky Bet Championship season kicked off and are the favourites at the moment to bag the silverware. With a slender yet important two-point lead over second-placed Newcastle United, the Seagulls are arguably going to the Premier League via automatic qualification (which will, of course, happen if they finish inside the top two spots).
Chris Hughton has built a formidable squad to challenge the rigours of the slog but it will not be unfair to underline that the Magpies do have a similarly good squad as them. However, if Brighton continues their fine run of form, they are likely to lift the title. They have individuals in their side who can glue to get the basics right and keep producing the results. Keeping the importance of the team’s cohesiveness in mind, Hughton has made a stupendous decision.
Glenn Murray, who was brought to the club on loan from Bournemouth, has been permanently signed by Brighton for a fee of £3 million which will keep him at the club until the summer of 2019. The 33-year-old striker was signed by the Cherries in September 2015 for £4 million, but the scenario didn’t work out according to the plan as he was handed merely six starts at the top tier and 13 cameos from the bench. So eventually he was shipped to the East Sussex-based club where he proved his credentials week in and week out.
So far this season, Murray has taken Championship by storm, scoring 13 goals from 23 appearances with a shot accuracy of 55%, alongside bagging a couple of assists as well. Further, he also created 15 chances and has been undeniably pivotal to Hughton’s attacking arsenal.
A senior pro being tied to the club for some years to come will be a welcome input to the club considering the humongous goal scoring hunger and experience he offers. This permanent signing will surely be a contributing factor to the uplift the morale of the entire squad and well as of the fans, who are hoping to taste the glamour of the Premier League for quite some time now. With key fixtures coming up, the permanent signing can be a psychological edge for the Seagulls
Statistics Credits: Squawka.
