'Telephone numbers' – Leandro Trossard transfer fee could be staggering amid Chelsea, Arsenal and Man United interest

Naturally with the greatest respect Ma’am, Albion wise is it now okay to say “The King is dead, long live the King”? As speculated in this column last week, it truly was a baptism of fire for Roberto De Zerbi at Anfield last Saturday.

Two-up inside 17 minutes courtesy of a Leandro Trossard brace, with arguably enough gilt edged opportunities to have doubled that lead within half an hour. After a pulsating 90 minutes, the Albion had to settle for a solitary point, as predicted last week, with Trossard completing his hat trick to level up after Liverpool had come back to lead 3-2.

The first ever Albion hat trick in the EPL, and only the club’s third in top flight football. Ironically they all came away from Sussex – Peter Ward at Wolves in December 1979 and Gordon Smith at Coventry in September 1980.

After press speculation regarding a possible move to West London, clearly his goal haul on Merseyside will enhance his transfer value even more.

To paraphrase Corporal Jones from Dad’s Army, “Don’t panic Brighton fans”, players come players go and we all knew deep down he would eventually leave like Mark Lawrenson, Michael Robinson, Bobby Zamora and even Yves Bissouma before him – on to bigger and better things.

Throw an impressive World Cup campaign into the mix and we could be talking telephone numbers come January. Like it or not, it’s the football world we all inhabit now.

Final word from me on the Graham Potter situation. Now the dust has settled, what happened was what they call generational. His arrival at Stamford Bridge has effectively secured the financial futures of his children and his grandchildren, can anyone reading this really blame him?

Potter’s history, enjoyable and entertaining in the main, but now it’s time to embrace Roberto’s ‘Italian Job’

In the same way as last week was the right time to possibly play Liverpool, this Saturday might appear to be the optimum time to take on Antonio Conte’s Tottenham, on the back of them coming a clear second in the North London Derby.

De Zerbi’s Albion managerial debut will clearly go down in Seagulls folklore but can his home ‘bow’ in the dugout be more of the same? Prior to the Arsenal defeat had Spurs been flattering to deceive whilst remaining unbeaten.

De Zerbi’s showed no fear when taking on an albeit off form Liverpool but none the less one of the best teams on the planet. I can’t really see him going into reverse at the Amex.

As always finishing up in prediction mode, I’m confident. So much so that the 2-0 Albion win which will see the club’s switch places in the table will become reality come 7.20pm on Saturday night. What price another Trossard wondershow?