Brighton & Hove Albion: Deciding Which Players to Keep & Sell This Summer
Brighton and Hove Albion's priority would have been to avoid relegation this season, and they will be pleased to have done that.
After finishing in 17th position however, narrowly safe of second tier football next season, manager Chris Hughton was dismissed. What was viewed as a harsh decision by most ended a pretty gloomy season all round for the seaside club.
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But the recent appointment of the enthusiastic Graham Potter from Swansea City will fill fans with optimism going into next season. After a brief period of getting to know his squad, he will have to make some changes. Here's who he should keep and sell.
Goalkeepers
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Mathew Ryan - KEEP - Brighton did well to complete the signing of Ryan in the first place and they have not been disappointed. Having previously played at Spanish side Valencia, Ryan could have gone to a more elite club but has been an asset to Brighton nonetheless.
Jason Steele - KEEP - None of the other goalkeepers at the club are anywhere near toppling Mathew Ryan. Appearances for Steele are going to be rare but he's worth keeping as a number two.
David Button - SELL - In truth, there's probably not much between Steele and Button but the latter is significantly older. It makes sense for Brighton to keep the younger of the two.
Full Backs
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Bruno - RELEASE - Bruno is something of a legend at the club but all good stories must come to an end. A wonderful servant for the club but it might be time for the 38-year-old to move on.
Gaetan Bong - KEEP - Bong is ageing but still features in a fair amount of Brighton's games. Even if he's not playing every match, he's at least worth keeping for cover.
Martin Montoya - KEEP - Another player who has spent time at Valencia, Montoya's signing looked like good one but he's never quite established himself in the squad. Again, he still features a fair amount however, so is worth keeping.
Bernardo Fernandes - KEEP - Brighton have done a lot of chopping and changing in the full back position with no one playing consistently. The youngest of them, Bernardo Fernandes, is also worth keeping and has the most potential to nail down his position.
Centre Backs
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Lewis Dunk - KEEP - Centre back is probably Brighton's best position and the only spot on the field where they've produced some consistency. Lewis Dunk has been linked with a move to a bigger club but Brighton will want to keep hold of him.
Shane Duffy - KEEP - The other half of this centre back pairing. Despite Brighton's low league position, Duffy and Dunk have produced a solid partnership. Why change a good thing?
Dan Burn - SELL - Having been shipped out on loan to Wigan Athletic, it's unlikely he will ever manage to break into the first team.
Central Midfielders
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Davy Propper - KEEP - Propper had a shaky start to life following his arrival from Club Brugge in Belgium, but he's managed to settle down now. He brings some composure in central midfield.
Pascal Gross - KEEP - Like Propper, Gross provides some much needed composure in the middle of the park. He's also likely to pop up with the odd goal now and then.
Dale Stephens - KEEP - With Propper and Gross being more creative, it's important to have a more defensive minded individual in order to prevent the side being overrun. Stephens performs that role admirably for Brighton.
Beram Kayal - SELL - Kayal has struggled for game time this season and could be someone who departs to earn the club an extra bit of cash for what looks likely to be an important summer transfer window.
Attacking Midfielders & Wingers
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Anthony Knockaert -KEEP - While he has the tendency to lose his temper every so often, Knockaert is extremely passionate and hardworking both in an attacking and defensive sense. Brighton would be silly to let him go.
Solly March - KEEP - March is loved by the Brighton fans and it is hard to understand why he doesn't play more often. When he comes off the bench he always looks likely to make something happen.
Alireza Jahanbakhsh - SELL - The Iranian has only recently arrived but his failure to score in 17 appearances shows he's struggled in the Premier League. Flog him.
Jose Izquierdo - SELL - We wouldn't have seen this coming last season. Previously one of Brighton's key players, Izquierdo has fallen out of contention and now might be better off playing his football elsewhere.
Strikers
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Glenn Murray - KEEP -Crystal Palace made the mistake of selling Murray too soon and Brighton won't want to do the same. He may have to rely on his intelligence after losing most of his pace, but he's still their main goalscoring threat.
Yves Bissouma - SELL - Like Jahanbakhsh, Bissouma has only recently arrived but has also struggled in the goalscoring department. One in 23 appearances simply isn't good enough.
Jurgen Locadia - KEEP - Brghton's record signing cost them £14m when he joined from PSV Eindhoven but he's failed to live up to expectation. However, he's still a useful player to have as he injects some pace and energy after Murray has played the majority of the game.
