'Two big-money sales the maximum Albion should consider'
The past two summers have been one of considerable change at the Amex.In 2024, Brighton signed nine players for £193m and appointed a new head coach. Yet 12 months earlier it was outgoings that dominated the Albion news cycle.The midfield pairing which had taken Brighton into the Europa League were sold, Moises Caicedo and Alexis Mac Allister bringing in a cool £150m combined.Everyone knows the Albion have a model. Buy young players. Develop them into stars. Sell if a buying club offers more than Brighton value said player at.The model means any of Kaoru Mitoma, Joao Pedro, Carlos Baleba, Bart Verbruggen and Jan Paul van Hecke could depart this summer, depending on who or what you believe.But there is a growing feeling among some Seagulls supporters that the model might need to change slightly. And much of it comes from decision-makers at the club publicly describing 2024-25 as a transitional season.The implication is that a young squad and young manager will be better in 2025-26 for the experience gained in the campaign just finished.But if Brighton were then to sell off the family silver this summer, the risk is that 2025-26 becomes a transitional season again.Young and inexperienced replacements take over from Verbruggen in goal, Van Hecke in defence, Baleba in midfield and Mitoma out wide.Meanwhile, Bayern Munich, Liverpool, Manchester City, Chelsea or whoever else benefit from the work the Albion put into developing those players in that transitional 2024-25 campaign.Mitoma seems most likely to go. He is 28 years old and deserves to achieve his long-stated dream of playing Champions League football. Pedro's off-field issues may also ease the way for his exit.Two big-money sales is arguably the maximum the Albion should consider.What cannot happen is selling in one summer the entire spine of a team who have shown they have the potential to challenge for the top five. No matter how good the money might look on a balance sheet.Otherwise, when does the transitional season end?Find more from Scott McCarthy at We Are Brighton, external
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