The Brighton strategy that may lead to transfer advantage over Premier League rivals

The likes of Jack Hinshelwood, Evan Ferguson, Julio Enciso, Carlos Baleba, Facundo Buonanotte, and more, helped Albion rack up this impressive feat – something the likes of Arsenal, Manchester United, and more, cannot point to.

The Seagulls have frequently spoken about giving young, up-and-coming players a chance to crack the first-team, including those in the academy being given a ‘pathway’ to Roberto De Zerbi’s side.

When teams like Chelsea and Manchester City are selling some of their rising stars in their youth setup, Ferguson, Hinshelwood, Benicio Baker-Boaitey, Arsenal’s Ben White, and more, are some recent examples of Brighton doing the opposite.

Josh Duffus was one of the latest Albion youngsters to be given a chance to shine in the first-team, after making his Europa League debut this season, and that clear route to the top at the club may make young starlets join the Sussex side over another top-flight rival – be it by joining their academy or going straight into the first-team squad.

Professional Development Phase Coach Arthur Brammer summed this up well when he told the club’s website: “If we wind the clock back to January 2023, Josh Duffus had just come back to play for the U18s after a long-term injury lay-off and now, 12 months later, he’s made his first-team debut at AEK Athens in the Europa League.

"At the U18 age group, winning is important, but the development of players and people is key. Josh Duffus is just one of a number of individual success stories of players from our age group who have developed this past year, another being Jack Hinshelwood, of course, who featured in our FA Youth Cup run last season and who recently scored his first Premier League goal in the 2-1 win against Brentford.”

The future at Brighton is bright.