Two Brighton problems that have not been solved during the January transfer window

The club was involved in a number of deadline day stories, saying goodbye to long-time servant Shane Duffy, as he made his loan deal to Fulham permanent, while managing to keep hold of Moises Caicedo amid intense Arsenal interest.

Despite two bids of £60m and £70m respectively from the Premier League leaders, as well as a verbal £55m offer from Chelsea earlier in the window, Brighton held firm on their stance that the player was not for sale in January.

Albion had already sold one high-profile player to the Gunners that month, after Leandro Trossard joined Mikel Arteta’s side in a £22m move, with expected add-ons.

While the club may have won the battle to keep Caicedo, many fans and pundits alike are concerned about whether the player’s mindset will be in the right place for the rest of the season, with Albion pushing for a European place and attempting to reach the latter stages of the FA Cup.

On Friday (January 27), following the rejection of Arsenal‘s second bid, the 21-year-old posted a statement on Instagram pleading for the club to let him go.

Caicedo, who has won 28 caps for Ecuador, had been given time off by Brighton until the transfer window closes so he could re-focus for the second half of the season.

Whether he will be able to do this or not is unknown, but it is crucial for Brighton’s sake that he does, as his midfield partnership with World Cup winner Alexis Mac Allister has been pivotal to Albion’s impressive campaign so far.

The club are not naïve, they are aware Caicedo will eventually leave the club, more then likely achieving his dream move in the upcoming summer window.

If Caicedo is aware of this, it will most likely be the motivation that drives him on, allowing him to continue to sparkle for Roberto De Zerbi’s side.

The Brighton boss will also have to deal with a lack of cover in the left centre-back position, after the club failed to sign Shakhtar Donetsk defender Mykola Matviyenko.

De Zerbi and Matviyenko were reportedly keen to work together again following the Italian's stint as manager at the Ukrainian Premier League champions from May 2021 until July 2022.

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However, Brighton were reluctant to pay the £20m asking price, leaving De Zerbi with a minor defensive issue on the left flank.

The sale of Dan Burn to Newcastle in January 2022, followed by the recent injuries to Adam Webster and Levi Cowill, leaves the Brighton boss a little short in this department, as the 43-year-old prefers to play skipper Lewis Dunk in the right side of the centre back pairing.

However, in his last press conference, De Zerbi showed no concern, expressing that he was happy with his size of the squad.

That said, Brighton have kept one clean sheet in 11 games, something which is to be expected under ‘De Zerbism’, but the central defender is as important to the side’s attacking phases of play as they are the defensive.

Looking ahead to the summer, this is a position many fans will expect to be addressed with a signing, potentially using the money acquired from the high-profile sale of Caicedo.