What Brighton's perfect January transfer window looks like and its impact on the starting line up

Against all the odds, Brighton have entered the January transfer window in an incredibly strong position, the trick will now be finding a way to maintain this while keeping all the relevant parties happy.
By Frankie Elliott
Published 9th Jan 2023, 16:31 BST
Saturday’s 5-1 thrashing of Middlesbrough in the third round of the FA Cup means Brighton had won three of their last five games since the domestic restart.Saturday’s 5-1 thrashing of Middlesbrough in the third round of the FA Cup means Brighton had won three of their last five games since the domestic restart.
Saturday’s 5-1 thrashing of Middlesbrough in the third round of the FA Cup means Brighton had won three of their last five games since the domestic restart.

Football by-law normally states that a Premier League football club is likely to suffer a dip in league position and form after selling it’s best player, with the likelihood doubled for every other key member of the first-team that leaves the building.

Add-in the loss of your highly-rated manager to a top European club such as Chelsea, and you might as well start packing your bags and prepare for life outside the top flight.

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However, despite the high-profile sales of Yves Bissouma and Marc Cucurella and the dramatic exit of head coach Graham Potter to West London in October, the Seagulls are currently a serious contender for European football next season.

Brighton CEO Paul Barber said that the club had not received any bids for promising midfielder Moises Caicedo, despite high-interest from Chelsea and Liverpool. (Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images)Brighton CEO Paul Barber said that the club had not received any bids for promising midfielder Moises Caicedo, despite high-interest from Chelsea and Liverpool. (Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images)
Brighton CEO Paul Barber said that the club had not received any bids for promising midfielder Moises Caicedo, despite high-interest from Chelsea and Liverpool. (Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images)

Things are starting to click into gear for new manager Roberto De Zerbi following a shaky settling-in period, with his side currently firing on all cylinders since their return to competitive action following the 2022 World Cup.

Saturday’s 5-1 thrashing of Middlesbrough in the third round of the FA Cup means Brighton had won three of their last five games since the domestic restart. Scoring fourteen goals in the process to lift them up to eighth in the Premier League table, six point behind fifth-placed Tottenham with a game in hand, and into the next round of the oldest cup competition in the world.

Despite the recent run of good form, De Zerbi is now likely to face similar challenges to that of his predecessors, as he attempts to navigate his first transfer window as Albion manager.

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Brighton’s strong season was always likely to increase the transfer rumours of players leaving the club, which have been further exasperated by the expectation that Potter will return to cherry-pick the finest parts of his former side as he attempts to re-build what is currently a sinking ship at Stamford Bridge.