zerbi at conference
Report: Brighton struck gold on £2.7m signing now worth 751% more
Brighton’s recruitment policy has rarely allowed them to shop in England in recent years. The Seagulls rely heavily on data-driven transfers, scouring the globe for talent outside of Europe’s top five leagues and scooping up undervalued youngsters who have proven themselves to be of above-average quality. Brighton rarely sign anyone over 25, cherry-picking talent from all over
the world, cheap-purchasing, developing into world-class players, and then selling them on for eye-watering fees. Two of the Seagulls’ most high-profile transfers have come in the last few years. Alexis Mac Allister, on loan from Real Sociedad, joined the club on a one-year deal and quickly established himself as a key player. He helped the club qualify for Europe before moving to Liverpool and Chelsea in the summer, where Caicedo broke the British transfer record with a £115m move to Stamford Bridge. While those two were the latest to leave the club, De Zerbi has a wealth of talented players on loan, including the wing-back Estupinan and the teenage prodigy Ferguson, as well as the skilful striker Simon Ading
How much did Brighton pay for Kaoru Mitoma?
When Graham Potter’s captivating and creative football was tearing up the Premier League, the Englishman was able to bring in some real gems, including the smooth-tuned Belgian leandro trossard and the ball-winning machine yves bissouma, but it wasn’t until the summer of 2021 that Mitoma was added to their list of talents. He had signed for Kawasaki Frontale from the Japanese club for a mere £2.7 million, and as part of his progress, he was loaned out immediately to Belgian outfit Union St Galloise so he could acclimatise to the rigours of European football. This proved to be a brilliant decision, as Mitoma went on to score nine goals in 21 games in the Belgian Pro League – including a hat-tricks off the bench that saw his team come from behind to top the league! While the Japanese star was tearing it up in Belgium, he returned to the South Coast to do the same, proving to be the missing link to Brighton’s attack.
How much is Mitoma worth now?
Predicted to become the next £100m asset to be sold by Brighton – in the words of pundit Karen Carney – Mitoma’s value has risen exponentially over the course of two years and according to Football Transfers, he is valued at around £23m (€27.5m).
Although this is an astronomical 751% increase on top of what the club shelled out for him, the 26-year-old’s value to Brighton is far greater than the aforementioned figure having helped fire De Zerbi’s side into Europe last season.
He was labelled as “incredible” by former Premier League striker Jermaine Defoe on the back of his impressive run of form last term, chalking up 18 goal contributions in 41 appearances in all competitions.
Mitoma showcases his greatest strengths when slaloming between defenders using his low centre of gravity, manipulating the ball onto his strong foot through his agility and tormenting defenders with his rapid pace, placing in the top 10% for successful take-ons, top 4% for progressive carries completed and top 7% for touches in the attacking penalty box when compared against players positionally similar to him in the Premier League last season, as per FBref.
While the £10k per-week sensation is one of the best wingers in the league at beating defenders in one-on-one situations and fashioning space to have a shot, he’s also bought into De Zerbi’s pressing system, possessing the stamina to be able to win possession back for his team in the opposing half.
He ranked within the top 15% for tackles in the attacking third, aerials won and top 18% for the percentage of dribblers tackled, showcasing that he’s not only a crucial entity to Brighton’s thrilling attack but also their defensive unit.
After a great first season in England, Mitoma had already made headlines on a number of occasions this season, but the loudest round of applause for him came after he scored an incredible solo goal against Wolverhampton Wanderers in the 4-1 win. It was no surprise that he was named the Premier League’s Goal of the Month, but perhaps the biggest accolade he received was being compared to Lionel Messi. The Argentine superstar has his own collection of solo goals, and his value is currently £23m. If Brighton were to sell their next star player, though, they would be in for a treat.
