Brighton's Tariq Lamptey responds to transfer speculation; full-back makes honest admission about personal performance in Liverpool win

The 22-year-old has found game time hard to come by under Roberto De Zerbi and has been linked with a move away from the club. Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano revealed that the full-back ‘could leave’ the club in the final days of the January transfer window.

He said Wolves and Olympique Lyon were among the clubs being kept ‘informed’ about the situation.

Speaking after Brighton’s 2-1 win over Liverpool in the FA Cup fourth round on Saturday (January 29), Lamptey was asked if he was aware of the speculation surrounding his future.

He said: "I am trying to keep focused on the training pitch and trying to give my best for the team.”

Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi insisted that Lamptey remains an ‘important player’ at the club despite his lack of game time this season.

After coming on as a late substitute in the 2-2 draw at Leicester, the Ghana international was given 96 minutes to impress against Liverpool. It was his long range strike – which found its way in via Lewis Dunk’s heel – that brought Albion level after Harvey Elliott’s opener.

"It looks like an assist to Dunky,” Lamptey said. “I was just trying to let the ball bounce, hit it cleanly and keep it down. The skip did the rest. We'll share that one.”

He also praised match-winner Kaoru Mitoma after his ‘amazing goal’, adding: “He's a really good player.”

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Lamptey said Brighton ‘got the result we deserved’. He said: "It was a good win, we worked hard. We were playing against a top team so we had to dig in at times.

“I feel like we are going into every game to get a win. No matter what time is left. We always push. I'm happy that today we got the winning goal.

“We don't take any game lightly. We 100 per cent work hard and we are happy to get a positive result."

Lamptey said ‘it was good for me’ to be back in the team.

"I'm always ready to help the team when needed,” he added. “I thought I had a good performance.

"The most important thing was we got the win, so I'm really happy with that.

"I am training well. I am ready to take the chance. I helped the team in the last game and I've carried it on. We got the win we really wanted so I'm really happy."

Lamptey joined Brighton from Chelsea in 2020 for around £3m in search of regular minutes in the Premier League. His path at Chelsea was blocked then by the emergence of Reece James and also the experienced César Azpilicueta.

Lamptey’s career soon took-off at Brighton, and became a regular starter under Graham Potter, but a serious hamstring injury halted his rapid progress. He has since struggled to nail down his spot in an impressive Brighton team and Potter’s exit to Chelsea also didn’t help.

New head coach De Zerbi is often quick to praise Lamptey but he tends to go for the experience of Joel Veltman or Pascal Gross at right back.

"There's been a change,” Lamptey said about when asked about the tactics of De Zerbi.

"In football, we have to be adaptable. Looking at the gaffer's new ideas and taking that on board is making me improve my levels to where I know I can get to. I will keep listening to him and take my chance.

"You can see on the pitch what we are trying to do. I'm happy that what we do in training comes out on a matchday.”