Brighton have already signed their £16m Kaoru Mitoma replacement as Liverpool plot summer raid

Brighton is known for the succession planning and they may have to play that trick once more as Liverpool chase Kaoru Mitoma.

The Seagulls rejected two significant bids for Mitoma last January as Saudi Pro-League club Al Nassr made their move for the Japan international.

Brighton will be bracing themselves once again this summer, with Liverpool reportedly keen on the 27-year-old.

Mitoma will have two years remaining on his contract this summer and Brighton seem well-placed to maximise the transfer value for their attacking – if they decide to sell.

Who do Brighton have if Kaoru Mitoma leaves?

Simon Adingra: Head coach Fabian Hurzeler demands a lot from his attacking wide players. Due to Mitoma’s heel injury, Simon Adingra played on left last Saturday in the 2-2 draw against Leicester, and the Ivorian was praised for his attacking play but criticised for his defensive work.

Adingra was linked with a move to Sunderland last January and his long-term future at Brighton looks uncertain.

Solly March: The Brighton veteran can play on the left but Hurzeler usually prefers right footers on the left and lefties on the right. March continues to work his way back from a long-term knee injury and is yet to start this season.

Julio Enciso: Another with an uncertain future and is currently on loan at relegation-bound Ipswich Town. The Paraguayan can play on the left but his natural position is a No 10.

Tommy Watson: The 18-year-old winger plays on the left and was signed from Sunderland for £10m and will arrive this summer. Watson will likely be one for the future and a loan elsewhere looks more likely at this stage.

Ibrahim Osman: Of the players currently on their books, Osman looks perhaps the most likely candidate. The Ghana winger signed from £16m from Nordsjælland last summer and is currently on loan at Feyenoord. He has shown glimpses of his talent – especially in the Champions League – but is he ready to replace a player of Mitoma’s quality?

Sussex World verdict: As it stands, Brighton do not seem to have an ideal replacement but much can change and as we have seen in the past, Brighton often have a trick up their sleeve. As Hurzeler would say, “Trust the process!”

Brighton’s transfer track record

Negotiating major outgoing transfers is nothing new for Brighton. In the past transfer windows Yves Bissouma moved to Tottenham for around £35m, Marc Cucurella joined Chelsea for £63m, Leo Trossard went to Arsenal for £30m, Ben White also made the switch to the Emirates for around £50m.

Albion broke new ground as Moises Caicedo joined Chelsea for a record breaking £115m and Alexis Mac Allister went to Liverpool for an inital fee of £35m, which is set to rise to around £50m with add-ons. Deniz Undav’s £30m move to Stuttgart was also a very clever piece of business.

Profits from these sales allowed Brighton to spend big last summer as they bolstered their squad with £200m worth of reinforcements. Georginio Rutter – linked with a move to Chelsea this week – arrived for £40m from Leeds United, while Yankuba Minteh, Ferdi Kadioglu, Matts Wieffer, Matt O’Riley and Brajan Gruda arrived.

Injuries have prevented Albion fans from seeing most of these at their best but the squad still looks strong for the Premier League.

Seeing the best players leave can be painful but it’s also useful in terms of building a squad and facilities for the future. The trick of course to bring the right players in at the right time to replace.

When Bissouma went to Tottenham, Brighton had Caicedo waiting. When Caideo went to Chelsea, Carlos Baleba stepped up. Trossard to Arsenal opened the gap for Mitoma, Cucurella to Chelsea saw the arrival of Estupinan and Robert Sanchez to Chelsea allowed Bart Verbruggen to step in. And so it goes on.

For your next Albion read: The brilliant Brighton and Liverpool swap deal that makes perfect sense as Reds prepare '£70m' Kaoru Mitoma raid