A relatively quiet day on the rumour front, which is great news for me as it’s Friday night and there’s beer to be drunk. And the quicker I submit the post, the more I can enjoy it. Strap in tight, and let’s gooooo….
Juan Miranda
An ex-Barcelona left-back in his early-20s playing for another La Liga side who was capped by Spain when they swapped in the U-21s as the senior squad had Covid concerns.
That’s a pretty accurate description of Marc Cucurella. It also fits for Juan Miranda currently plying his trade with Real Betis. With his contract set to expire this summer, he sounds a very Brighton-y kind of signing, and we have been taking a look.
AC Milan were close to a deal not too long ago, so Albion are unlikely to be the only club weighing up a move.
With Pervis Estupiñán being below his excellent best of late, and less-than-convincing alternative options in the squad, he sounds like a good fit. One to keep an eye on.
There’s a thread where Albion fans are mulling this one over right here
Roberto De Zerbi
The Albion’s enigmatic head coach seems to have calmed down a bit over the last week or so. His sulky demeanour seems to have eased and he hasn’t told anyone that he needs to understand the club’s plans for at least three or four days.
Speaking to Italian media, he even went further and seemed to give a firm steer that he’s firmly staying put:
“I love Italy and our football,” he said.“I feel good in England, in the Premier League and I have no intention of leaving. There is no team that can change my mind, I have made a commitment. I like being outside and experiencing the atmosphere of the stadium.
“Furthermore, in England I have the opportunity to improve my knowledge of the language and football.”
We love your Roberto, give us (at least) one more season please!
Valentin Barco
Yesterday we mentioned the seemingly unlikely possibility that Albion may already be considering sending Valentin Barco out on loan to gain match experience more quickly than he would next season at the Amex.
It seems Sevilla, who were interested in Barco before Albion sealed the deal, would happily facilitate that loan and give the ex-Boca Juniors man some La Liga action.
I still can’t see this, at least not before Colo is given a full pre-season assessment, but if it does happen you might remember you read it here first, so I’m kinda covering all bases.
Other Bits and Pieces
Carlton Palmer (remember him) has suggested that Coventry would be a good option for Marc Leonard, who the Albion seem set to move on this summer.
There has been a bit more noise about Philip Otele mentioned yesterday. This one still feels left-field enough to be a typical Albion buy-and-loan-out-and-see-what-happens type move. Expect a quiet buy, an obscure loan and people to be saying “Brighton have done it again!” in 2025.
Elsewhere today: more injuries for Burnley clash, Chelsea spend an absolute shitload of money on agents and 8th in the Premier League may not get a European spot.
Images courtesy of Reuters
