Report: Brighton Joins West Ham, Crystal Palace in Battle for Lille's Ibrahim Amadou
Brighton & Hove Albion are preparing to join their fellow Premier League sides West Ham United and Crystal Palace in the race to sign Ligue 1 side Lille's robust midfielder Ibrahim Amadou.
As reported by the Sun, Lille are facing the unwelcome prospect of selling a number of their key players in the summer, as they look to avoid falling foul of the Financial Fair Play rules.
Amadou has impressed in Ligue Un this season, with his ability to play both as a center-back and a defensive midfielder making him an alluring prospect for clubs hunting for a summer bargain.
The 24-year-old has been capped at youth level for France, and has previously spurned the opportunity to represent Cameroon at senior level - as he believes he has the quality to eventually represent Les Bleus. The former-Nancy man has been omnipresent in the Lille side this season, and could see his club relegated unless they can improve their woeful form.
Palac were believed to have come close to signing Amadou in the January transfer window, but their bid including an initial £2m loan fee with an additional £14m option-to-buy clause was turned down by the French side. Amadou is unlikely to want to play in the Championship, so it is unlikely that he will join any of the trio interested in him if they are relegated.
In other news, the Seagulls' veteran striker Glenn Murray could be set for a shock call-up to the England squad, after repeatedly impressing for the south coast side this season.
The 34-year-old has scored 11 goals in 27 Premier League outings for Brighton during the current campaign, and could be given his debut against the Netherlands or Italy later in the month.
