EXCL: Brighton's unique transfer strategy, Man Utd add new CB to their list, Chelsea star's uncertain situation, latest Liverpool plans, and more

What makes Brighton so special?

I think what Brighton are doing with their transfer model is absolutely unique. The philosophy they have, the way they find their players and trust their scouting department is something very special.

Interestingly, when Roberto De Zerbi first arrived at Brighton he didn’t know the system that well, because he wasn’t arriving in the summer when he would’ve had a chance to see how they operate in the transfer market. He arrived to replace Graham Potter and it took him a few weeks to understand the club’s system, and he realised it’s completely different to anything he’d worked with before.

Congratulations to them, because it’s something very special, and I’m hearing only positive things about how Brighton are run.

Of course, the Ansu Fati signing looks, on the face of it, like a move away from that transfer strategy because it’s such a big name joining from one of Europe’s biggest clubs, but I also think it’s normal as Brighton move towards a new phase of their project. I think it’s important to send a message to the whole market - to sign the number 10 of Barcelona will change their history.

Brighton like to sign hidden gems, but sometimes if you want to go to the highest level you also need to sign someone who knows very well the pressure of playing in the biggest games. In this case, De Zerbi really made the difference - he was pushing to sign Ansu Fati.