Brighton & Hove Albion are now eyeing a bargain summer move for a “real goal threat”, who has been tipped to be capable of playing in the Champions League.
Brighton’s inconsistent form
It has been a mixed start to life in the Premier League for Fabian Hurzeler, having led his Brighton side to some memorable victories, defeating Manchester City and Manchester United, but they have also been on the receiving end of some disappointing losses.
A 7-0 defeat at Nottingham Forest was the low point of the season so far, but Hurzeler’s side have since returned to form, winning their last three matches in all competitions.
As such, a push for Europe is still on the cards, but it looks unlikely at this stage, meaning the Seagulls may want to inject some extra quality into their squad at the end of the campaign to boost their chances next season.
Albion have developed a reputation for buying promising youngsters before selling them on for a huge profit, with the likes of Moises Caicedo and Alexis Mac Allister making a name for themselves at the American Express Stadium.
Ahead of the summer transfer window, Brighton have now been linked with what could be a similar type of move, with SportBILD reporting they are among the clubs in the race to sign Hertha BSC attacker Ibrahim Maza.
A whole host of Premier League clubs are said to be vying for Maza’s signature, with his price set to drop in the summer, having previously been valued at over €20m (£17m).
That figure is set to be halved due to a clause in the Algeria international’s contract, meaning he could be available for roughly £8m, but it may be difficult to get a deal done, given the level of interest.
Maza is one for the future
The 19-year-old only featured sporadically in the Bundesliga II last season, but he has really kicked on this term, amassing five goals and four assists in the German second tier, having primarily been utilised as an attacking midfielder.
During his time playing youth football, the teenager was also deployed at centre-forward and left-wing, so he could be a versatile option for Hurzeler in attack, should Albion be able to get a deal done.
The signing of Stefanos Tzimas demonstrated the pulling power the Seagulls have, given that there was widespread interest from some top Premier League clubs, so there is certainly a chance the Algerian ends up at the American Express Stadium.
Scout Ben Mattinson thinks the attacker will move to a club of Brighton’s stature to develop his game initially, at which point his value could soar, leading to interest from Champions League clubs.
Of course, if Maza does go on to become a top player, Hurzeler will be hoping to keep hold of him, but Brighton’s model relies on buying up-and-coming players before selling them for profit, and this seems like it could be a similar type of deal.
