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

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.

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.

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.

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.

As expected, a number of of players from Albion’s talented young squad have already being linked with moves away from the club. Just this weekend, 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, while Leandro Trossard’s recent absence from starting line-ups has raised questions about whether the Belgium winger’s wants to stay at the club.

Furthermore, Alexis Mac Allister’s stock continues to grow rapidly following an excellent World Cup winning campaign. Despite the Argentinian saying he is no rush to leave the club, there already reports of clubs such as Inter Milan and Tottenham preparing to make a bid for the 24-year-old.

The short January transfer window is an appalling time to lose a key player, regardless of whether you are Brighton or Manchester City, with limited time or players readily available on the market to quickly replace what you have lost.

Albion’s board have always insisted on allowing employees to talk to other clubs, insisting it would not stand in the way of those who want to leave.

However, for this window alone, it may be in their best interest to alter this policy, to ensure they can finish this season on a high despite the numerous setbacks.

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While their is much talent and promise in this current Brighton squad, there is clear lack of depth in regards to experienced high-level personal.

On the 23-man group, only six players have played more then 100 Premier League games, being the eighth youngest squad in the division with an average of 26.

This lack of experience may be the downfall of this young side, especially if international players like Trossard do depart, and no-one is found to replace the talismanic forward.

There is also clear lack of cover in wide defensive areas, especially with De Zerbi seemingly preferring to play a 4-2-3-1.

Summer signing Pervis Estupiñán is the club’s only recognised out-and-out left back, while an injury prone Tariq Lamptey and 30-year-old Joel Veltman provide De Zerbi’s options on the right of his back four.

The club can be seen to be addressing this problem, with Albion reportedly ‘enquiring’ about the services of Union Berlin and Norway wing-back Julian Ryerson, but it will seem futile if more then one player is sold this winter.

If Brighton are to continue the season they are having with the squad they have assembled, it will require all of the key components to stay in the machine until May.

Whether the club will be able to do this is yet to be seen, as a eye-watering bid this month might be too good to turn down.