First new arrivals may give an insight into Brighton & Hove Albion’s strategy going forward - Johnny Cantor

The domestic season may well be over but football continues with the Nations League and the Women’s World Cup. It is non-stop. And then the Premier League fixtures are out next week!
Brighton boss Graham Potter. Picture by Getty ImagesBrighton boss Graham Potter. Picture by Getty Images
Brighton boss Graham Potter. Picture by Getty Images

In an interview with Albion deputy chairman Paul Barber last week on BBC Sussex he told me that new head coach Graham Potter is settling in after a much-needed holiday but as with most people in the sport he always has his phone on.

Fans and the media are currently looking for snippets and clues about possible transfer targets.

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To be honest you can chase your tail a bit when it comes to these matters. Some may come off and you get it right but others may just be a trail left by an agent.

There is an inevitable amount of rumour and gossip but ultimately it is only worth assessing managers and clubs on the signings they actually make not the ones that got away or were in reality never even an option.

When the first new arrivals are announced however, it may well give us an early insight into the strategy of the club going forward and the influence the 44-year-old is having in terms of recruitment.

Potter’s reputation is one of a coach that relishes and excels in working with young players.

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His holistic approach is admirable and his forward-thinking methods may need time but ultimately it is the players who have to perform.

There will be an evolution of the Seagulls’ squad over the coming months and years.

The current England set up is thriving under a clear vision, an approachable manager and a renewed enthusiasm for playing for the country.

That vision was of course implemented by Dan Ashworth who moved from The FA to the Amex and we are likely to see his impact and influence on the club to a certain degree in new signings as well.

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In a way Albion already have two new faces who are exciting additions to the roster.

However, both will be under the microscope internally and externally, all be it for different reasons.

I expect a fair bit of change in the squad before the end of the transfer window but a new coach and technical director probably need two or three windows to really impose themselves on the direction of the club.

Many of us will not have heard of Jurgen Locadia and Alireza Jahanbaksh before they were linked to a move to Sussex.

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I fully expect a few more unfamiliar names to be coming to the club but there may be others from these shores, young, raw and hungry talent that may yet shine under a progressive new coach and a new technical director who are keen to push themselves as well as the players in the face of a different challenge.

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