Albion still looking to strengthen ahead of transfer deadline

Albion boss Chris Hughton wants to strengthen his squad further before the transfer deadline next week.

Friday, 25th August 2017, 7:20 am
Updated Friday, 8th June 2018, 4:17 am

The Seagulls have signed seven players this summer and smashed their transfer record on three occasions.

Mathew Ryan, Markus Suttner, Davy Propper, Pascal Gross, Izzy Brown (on loan from Chelsea), Jose Izquierdo and Raphael Dwamena, subject to a medical and international clearance, have all joined the club since promotion last season and Hughton would still like more additions.

The transfer deadline is next Thursday and Hughton said: "We are still working very hard and still want to strengthen the squad so it can be the best it can come the end of the window.

"As regards anyone coming in or anyone possibly going out or out on loan, I don't know. It's always very difficult because it's okay saying what you would like to do and what you want to do but doing it can be very difficult.

"We hope so (to bring in more players) but I'd be no different to any other manager in any other division. Once the window closes it's a sigh of relief and allows you 100 per cent to concentrate on what is important, which is winning games."

Apart of Chelsea loanee Brown, all of Albion's summer signings have come from abroad and explaining the reasoning, Hughton said: "Predominantly, it's the market. It's certainly not a case of specifically wanting to bring in foreign players over English-based players or sometimes even foreign players that have played in England for a good period of time. But the market is different.

"What you have to pay for an English player or a player that is playing in the English game or Premier League game - on more occasions than not - is more money.

"As regards value for money, it's not a case of it's better abroad. It's about balancing the books and seeing what you can get."