Brighton and Hove Albion are shrewd operators in the transfer market and that has been evinced on the pitch, with several unearthed gems now bearing fruit for the Seagulls.
Roberto De Zerbi's side finished sixth in the Premier League last term and are now plying their trade in Europe for the first time in their history.
The South Coast club, who were in League One 12 years ago, have leveraged themselves into a position where they were able to land the signature of a Barcelona superstar, Ansu Fati.
The Spanish loanee is due to return to the Catalan giants next year, as Football FanCast takes a look at the four Brighton and Hove Albion players who are leaving on a free next summer.
4 Ansu Fati
Left-winger, 21-years-old
Okay, this one is cheating a bit.
Ansu Fati's arrival from Barcelona in the summer caused quite a stir around the Premier League, as fans couldn't quite believe the Seagulls were able to attract his services.
That's not a knock on Brighton, of course, who were electrifying last year under the stewardship of De Zerbi and a home for talented youngsters to develop.
The Spaniard made his debut for Barca at the age of 16, becoming the second-youngest player to ever play for the club. He was once regarded as a future Ballon d'Or winner but injuries somewhat stunted his rocketing trajectory.
Read more: 10 potential future Ballon d'Or award winners
Nonetheless, Fati is still a quality operator and has evinced that already, netting four times whilst laying on one assist across 13 outings for Brighton.
The Amex will be his stage to shine for the remainder of the season before his one-year loan deal expires.
Ansu Fati's career in numbers
Team
Appearances
Goals
Assists
Trophies
Spain
10
2
1
1
Barcelona
112
29
10
3
Brighton
13
4
1
0
3 Adam Lallana
Attacking midfielder, 35-years-old
Former Liverpool and Southampton playmaker Adam Lallana was brought in on a free transfer in July 2020 and has amassed 82 appearances for the Seagulls, scoring four goals whilst laying on three assists.
The 35-year-old has started four league games this term which indicates he is still very much a part of De Zerbi's plans, though, there doesn't appear to be any discussions over extending his stay.
Speaking in March after penning a one-year extension, Lallana said: “It’s no secret that I’m really enjoying myself at this football club. Although I’m not getting any younger, I still feel that I can contribute a lot.
“The club and especially Roberto made that very clear, so it made my decision very easy.”
Lallana joined up with the England under-21s in September as a player-coach – perhaps revealing his future aspirations.
“It was an amazing insight for me into what may lie in the future, I was delighted with the opportunity and thankful to Brighton and Roberto (De Zerbi) for not just being happy for me to go, but excited that I got the opportunity," the former England international said.
Lallana's career path
Date
Left
Joined
Fee
October 1st, 2007
Southampton
Bournemouth
Loan
November 1st, 2007
Bournemouth
Southampton
End of loan
July 1st, 2014
Southampton
Liverpool
£26.9m
July 27th, 2020
Liverpool
Brighton
Free
2 James Milner
Midfielder, 37-years-old
James Milner left Liverpool in the summer and made the move down south to pen a one-year deal with Brighton on a free transfer.
The veteran has the option of a further year and that may well be exercised after starting eight matches across all competitions this term.
Milner has operated at left-back, right-back and central midfield, evincing his tremendous versatility – which is an increasingly popular trait in today's game.
Milner's career in numbers
Team
Appearances
Goals
Assists
Trophies
England
61
1
6
0
Liverpool
332
26
46
7
Manchester City
203
19
44
5
Newcastle United
136
11
19
0
Aston Villa
126
22
26
0
Leeds United
53
5
1
0
Brighton and Hove Albion
10
0
0
0
Swindon Town
6
2
0
0
1 Danny Welbeck
Striker, 32-years-old
Danny Welbeck joined the South Coast club in October 2020 following a brief spell with Watford. The former Arsenal forward signed a one-year deal at the time, which perhaps suggests maybe the Seagulls weren't totally convinced.
But he's established himself as a key figure under De Zerbi and his predecessor, Graham Potter, who awarded him with a new contract in August 2022.
Welbeck has made just shy of a century of appearances for Brighton, scoring 20 goals and providing 10 assists and has started seven league games this season before sustaining a long-term injury.
The 42-cap England international was stretchered off against Manchester City last month with what appeared to be a knee injury, though, his boss was not prepared to disclose the specifics.
"Unfortunately it's a very tough injury – football is like this and injury can happen. It's not my job to inform you about the injury, I know we've lost an important player for a long time but I don't want to cry because sometimes managers do when they lose players," De Zerbi said.
Welbeck's deal at the Amex is due to expire next summer and the extent of his injury could have a bearing on whether he's offered new terms.
Welbeck's Brighton career
Season
Appearances
Goal
Assists
2020/21
24
6
3
2021/22
27
6
3
2022/23
37
7
4
2023/24
11
1
0
