Brighton have already been busy building their squad for next season, with the third signing likely to be Alexis Mac Allister’s replacement
Mac Allister has been an integral part of Brighton’s push for Europe under Roberto De Zerbi, but he is widely expected to leave this summer.
The Argentine, who has 10 goals in 30 Premier League games this season, is a priority target for Liverpool, with reports suggesting a £70 million deal is imminent.
Despite their step up this season, Brighton’s model is built on selling and then recruiting wisely to sustain success.
A £30 million deal for Watford forward Joao Pedro has already been agreed upon, while James Milner is set to leave Liverpool on a free transfer to the Amex.
Brighton are also close to a verbal agreement with Dortmund midfielder Mahmoud Dahoud, who will be a free agent this summer, according to Fabrizio Romano.
The Dahoud deal is said to be “very advanced,” with the south-coast club only needing to “fix [the] final details and then sign documents.”
If the deal goes through, the 27-year-old will join the Premier League six years after a proposed move to Liverpool fell through.
Klopp first identified Dahoud as a target in 2016, with Merseyside press reports confirming Liverpool’s interest as the manager began to shape his new squad.
Marko Grujic had already arrived as the German’s first-ever signing at Anfield, while Piotr Zielinski and Dahoud were also being pursued by Borussia Monchengladbach.
The Syrian-born midfielder eventually joined Dortmund in 2017, but after 141 appearances for Klopp’s former club, no new contract was offered.
Now, it appears that he is on his way to Brighton, with De Zerbi admitting this week that he expects to “lose some important players” during the transfer window.
Mac Allister is one of those, and with Dahoud capable of playing in the same advanced midfield role, he could be brought in as a de facto replacement.
“I don’t know about next season,” De Zerbi explained, “but if you want to improve your team, you have to decide before [on transfers] to understand the next season.”
“I believe we will lose some key players, and we must be prepared to start stronger than we did last season.”
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