Graham Potter's Brighton had a good season last year, finishing 9th in the Premier League. Can they repeat this finish and end in the top half again?
What happened last year?
The Seagulls have been a side that has become synonymous with not taking their chances and it ultimately costing them. I don’t like to give the expected goals (xg) too much weight when it comes to research, however, that lack of conviction was evident once again last year as Graham Potters men underperformed by nearly eight goals last campaign.
It’s not all doom and gloom though. A strong end to the campaign saw them clinch a spot in the top half. They lost just two of their final 10 matches and overall Graham Potter will be happy to have guided his side to a ninth-place finish.
Key signings?
Julio Enciso
Finishing has always been a consistent problem for Brighton and so the side from the coast have splashed the cash on a young talent from Paraguay. 18-year-old Julio Enciso is more of a second striker and arrives from Club Libertad Asuncion for just over £10million. It remains to be seen but Graham Potter was confident and stated “we’re really looking forward to helping him develop and working with him, and he will complement our existing attacking options this coming season.”
Simon Adingra
Brighton have opted to bring in another young attacking player in the shape of Ivorian Simon Adingra from Danish outfit Nordsjaelland. He scored 12 goals in 40 appearances in Denmark and the feeling around Brighton is that they can mould him into a pivotal attacker down either flank.
A stint in the first team for the upcoming season is not guaranteed at this stage and it remains to be seen if he will be loaned out.
And who’s out?
Yves Bissouma
A move that certainly weakens the heart of their midfield but one that came as a surprise to very few. Yves Bissouma has made the switch to North London as he joins Antonio Conte at Tottenham Hotspur for a fee of approximately £26million and he is a player who possesses qualities that are exceptionally difficult to replace. The Mali international can be relied upon to sniff out any danger in the early stages and turn defensive situations into attacking ones promptly. He’ll need replacing.
Leo Östigard
The Norwegian defender was purchased from Molde for just under £100,000 back in 2018 and was loaned out four times to four different clubs following the transfer. He played last season on loan at Genoa in Serie A and now he has signed for Napoli in a deal believed to be in the region of £5million plus add-ons. The player has since made no secret about the fact it’s a dream come true to play for Napoli and it’s a great deal for Brighton as they receive at least £5million for a player they paid just £100,000 for just four years ago.
Who is their star man?
Leandro Trossard
It’s difficult to decide who their key player is given that they all contribute. However, Belgian midfielder Leandro Trossard was at the heart of a lot of their good work last campaign. He was the joint top goalscorer but just using the eye test you could see a lot of the attacking play go through him at some stage. He can dictate the game and act as a lynchpin which is vital when you want to implement the style of football that Graham Potter does.
It is a surprise that no clubs are reportedly in for him, but that will be music to the ears of Brighton fans around the country.
What can we expect from them in 2022/23?
A lot will depend on any other possible transfers both inwards and outwards. Marc Cucurella was a key component of the Brighton machine last season. Just as he was at Getafe, he was tenacious but dependable and if as rumoured he does move to Manchester City, they will be a lot weaker down their left-hand side.
They haven’t spent big in the transfer market and have only brought in a couple of younger attackers who need time to adapt. If there are no other incomings then you can expect Brighton to struggle and go through some rough patches throughout the new campaign. Another midtable finish seems the most likely outcome for the ‘Seagulls’.
Where do the odds project them to finish?
Unsurprisingly, Brighton are actually at odds against to finish in the top half next campaign. They’re one of a few sides that so far haven’t exactly strengthened but do look as though they will be weakened with the expected outgoings.
They scraped a place in the top half last campaign but unfortunately, many sides are simply better than them and without adding any depth or improvements to their starting eleven, a bottom half finish wouldn’t be a surprise.
Any recommended bets?
I did like Brighton to finish in the bottom half but the odds are around 8/11 which is simply too short for me to be backing. I’d personally keep an eye on how the season starts as well as any possible departures or incomings. However, there are definitely better options for a futures bet than there are for Brighton.
