Manchester United will be one of several top Premier League clubs circling Brighton this summer, with Old Trafford eyes on a particular midfield pair.
Success on the south coast this season has been in no small part down to the form of Moises Caicedo and Alexis Mac Allister, the two combining with Pascal Groß to form one of the top-flight's most balanced midfield units. Roberto De Zerbi's side climbed to sixth with a dominant 3-0 win at Arsenal on Sunday and look on course for European football in some format next term.
Caicedo has been on the radar of Champions League clubs for some time now, with Arsenal seeing a £70million bid knocked back by Brighton in January despite the Ecuadorian refusing to train in a bid to push through a move. Mac Allister's star has risen incredibly since his role for Argentina as they won the World Cup in December. That form has inevitably caught plenty of attention across the Premier League, with reports that United have added the pair to their shortlist.
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Brighton do not suffer fools gladly when it comes to transfer dealings and the south coast outfit have become the envy of the Premier League for their shrewd work in the market. Owner Tony Bloom and those beneath him have made a mockery of the established elite by unearthing talent and selling on stars for huge profit.
But while the Seagulls do drive a hard bargain, rarely have they outright refused to sell and Roberto De Zerbi's recent admission will have caught the attention of United's transfer chiefs.
"Of course we will lose some players - maybe Caicedo, maybe Mac Allister," De Zerbi told Sky Sports after his side dismantled Arsenal on Sunday. "We have to be ready to bring in another good players, and the others, for [Kaoru] Mitoma and [Pervis] Estupinan, I think for them the best solution is to stay with us."
Brighton are a club fighting for European football but they are not endlessly wealthy and unfortunately for them, the money and stature of the elite will entice their stars away from the AMEX, and De Zerbi knows that. Midfield reinforcements are second only to a world-class No.9 on Erik ten Hag's list of summer priorities, and interest in Frenkie de Jong and Jude Bellingham show the calibre of talent being eyed by those at Old Trafford.
Both remain on United's radar but Bellingham looks destined for Real Madrid while De Jong is now deemed untouchable by their El Clasico rivals Barcelona. Beyond that, one would be hard pressed to find a better defensive anchor than Caicedo, or a more exciting creative midfielder than Mac Allister. Both have experience of Premier League football and both have spent time adapting to complex tactical systems.
With so much of this summer's budget earmarked for a frontman - any of Harry Kane, Victor Osimhen or Randal Kolo Muani will almost certainly cost more than £100million - spending big in both areas is unlikely. Brighton are expected to want at least £70million for each of their stars, but De Zerbi all but green-lighting an approach could prove the signal United need to go ahead.
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