Manchester United are set to be the latest club to try and pry a star out of Brighton as they are reportedly lining up a bid for Japan star Kaoru Mitoma following his sparkling form for the Seagulls.
The south-coast side have become a hotbed for talent in recent seasons, and have already seen four players join clubs in the top six in the last two seasons. Arsenal signed Leandro Trossard and Ben White, while Tottenham snapped up Yves Bissouma and Chelsea snagged Marc Cucurella last summer.
The Blues even took it a step further, poaching the Brighton coach and half of the coaching staff when Thomas Tuchel was sacked. They and Arsenal both tried to land Moises Caicedo in January, but the Seagulls were adamant that they would not part with the Ecuadorian, who has since signed a new contract.
(Photo by Craig Thomas/News Images) 2NWHCGP Moises Caicedo #25 of Brighton & Hove Albion during the Emirates FA Cup Fifth Round match Stoke City vs Brighton and Hove Albion at Bet365 Stadium, Stoke-on-Trent, United Kingdom, 28th February 2023
(Photo by Craig Thomas/News Images) (Alamy Stock Photo)
Now, it is Manchester United’s turn, with the Sun reporting that they are keeping an eye on Mitoma as he continues to flourish in the Premier League.
Only making his debut at the beginning of the season, Mitoma has managed six goals and four assists in 20 Premier League games this season from the left flank.
Though the futures of both Anthony Martial and Anthony Elanga are up in the air this summer, United are already well stocked on the left flank, with Marcus Rashford in the form of his life and Alejandro Garnacho showing plenty of promise.
“He’s another player that no doubt is going to be in the spotlight again come the next transfer window, but we’re ready for that and we understand that”, Brighton CEO Paul Barber explained.
One possibility to recruit Mitoma could be to move Rashford into a central role, but with a striker also on the agenda this summer it is difficult to see where the 26-year-old Brighton man would fit in at Old Trafford, especially at the hefty cost it is likely to set them back for his services.
