'I know' – Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler breaks silence on Tariq Lamptey as contract ticks down
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Fabian Hurzeler is focused on getting the best from Tariq Lamptey while he's still at Brighton.
The former Chelsea man has been key for Brighton of late and delivered a man of the match performance against his former club in the FA Cup fourth round 2-1 victory last Saturday at the Amex Stadium.
Lamptey, 24, has been operating as a left back in the last few matches, in place of the injured Pervis Estupinan, and is set to be in the starting XI this Friday night against Chelsea in the Premier League.
His future beyond this summer is however uncertain as his current deal expires at the end of the season and, so far, there is little talk of a new contract.
Last January he was heavily linked with a move to Ajax, while Wolves, Everton, Fulham and Sport Lisbon have previously been credited with interest.
“First of all it’s very important that Tariq knows how we think about him,” said Brighton boss Hurzeler in his pre-Chelsea press conference. “I know his perspective on the situation.
"Now it's about focusing on the present and trying to be the best Tariq Lamptey he can be, and he is on the best way because first he showed already some great performances. He was, man of the match in the last game and he fully deserved it.
“Now it's about getting consistency into his performances, proving himself that he can do this the same time, that he can play that intense the same time, that he can win this amount of personal duels at the same time and therefore it's also a challenge for himself. I'm really looking forward to see how he will perform tomorrow.”
Lamptey joined Brighton from Chelsea for around £2.5m in 2020. So far he has made 116 appearances for Albion with five goals and 10 assists.
"Rumours are part of football," said Lamptey last week to @telecomasia_ on his link to Ajax. “I keep my head down and work hard every day in training, looking out for opportunities.
"Whenever the manager calls, I perform for the team, that's all. The aim is the game on Friday night."