Brighton CEO Paul Barber says club's model of operating means the departures of the likes of Kaoru Mitoma and Carlos Baleba are 'probably likely to happen' at some point in the future.
It requires a certain level of patience from the head coach as young, raw talents learn their trade while competing in one of the most competitive leagues in world football. Former boss Graham Potter once referred to it as, “fixing the plane while it’s up in the air.”
Brighton’s latest crop have made mistakes this season but the learning curve has been swift. Albion are into the last eight of the FA Cup and seventh in the Premier League – just one point off the Champions League spots with 10 league matches to go.
The likes of Verbruggen, Baleba, Joao Pedro, Yankuba Minteh, Mitoma and Georginio have formed the backbone of this team and are probably the six most in-demand assets of the current squad. Although you could easily add Jan Paul van Hecke and Jack Hinshelwood to that list.
Mitoma, at 27, is in his peak years, while the others are low 20s and already playing at a consistently high level. The combined value of Verbruggen, Baleba, Pedro, Minteh, Mitoma and Georginio could easily be close to £500m.
These players will all be on the list of top clubs at home and abroad and Barber, speaking to Football Focus, was right to say that Brighton will probably sell some – or perhaps all – of these players at some point.
"We are not saying that is going to be this summer but certainly in the future we know that is probably likely to happen," said Barber when asked on the futures of Mitoma and Baleba prior to the Fulham match.
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