It seems Brighton & Hove Albion are not yet done with their transfer business. Excitement has been at its peak as the Premier League newbies will take their first giant step in the top flight this season. Seagulls boss Chris Hughton has already made sufficient investments to make the squad look like a proper Premier League side.
But the gaffer is still not convinced and has been looking for some suitable reinforcements for the squad. If reports are to be believed Brighton are chasing Oumar Niasse of Everton. The striker doesn’t feature in Ronald Koeman’s plan and has been told to sort out his future.
Niasse spent the second half of last season on loan at Hull City and netted four goals in his brief outing. Former Everton manager Roberto Martinez brought him to the club for a fee of £13.5m from Lokomotiv Moscow. But his life in England has been miserable as Ronald Koeman has completely ignored him.
The Toffees won’t block his move from the club but want to recoup most of the money invested in him. Brighton baulked at their asking price and have made it clear that they are unwilling to pay more than £6m for the 27-year-old.
Everton have been on a spending spree and have brought in Sandro Ramirez and Wayne Rooney who rejoined the club after 13 years. Given the current depth of the squad, it will be better for Niasse to find a different club in this summer.
Everton’s tough stand has alerted a number of clubs who are ready to meet their asking price. The Merseyside club is also ready to release the player on loan with an option to buy permanently but have been asking for a fee in the region of £10m.
Hughton has been looking to inject some fresh blood into the starting lineup and the Senegal international could be that player. In the last season, he lent a pretty positive effect to the Tigers as he netted four goals for them in a very short span, but he couldn’t stop the club getting demoted to the Championship.
Brighton does have an array of talented forwards in Sam Baldock and Glenn Murray but the lack of experience could be a hindrance for them and that’s why Hughton has been looking for an alternative option. Niasse has the pace, the flair and the experience to lead the attacking lineup and would be a decent addition to the club.
