Why Brighton should offload Jurgen Locadia permanently
As per eu.cincinatti (h/t The Shields Gazette), FC Cincinnati are set to hold talks with Brighton for their loanee Jurgen Locadia, who currently plies his trade with the MLS outfit.
Locadia, 26, came through the ranks of Willem II and PSV Eindhoven’s youth system. In 176 appearances for Eindhoven, he scored 62 goals and provided 39 assists in 6 years and then switched to England with the Seagulls in the summer of 2018.
In his first season at the AMEX Stadium, he featured in 26 league games and scored only 2 goals. In the following campaign, he made just 2 appearances and was sent on loan to FC Cincinnati, where he has started both the games for the MLS side.
Meanwhile, Brighton have been inconsistent in their performance this season. With just 6 wins and 12 losses, they are currently in the 15th position in the league. Brighton boss Graham Potter got his men off to a good start that lasted only until the matchday 2.
The Seagulls have won only one of their last 14 games and are at risk of falling into the relegation zone, two points clear from danger. However, one positive note from their campaign so far has been the attacking unit, scoring 34 goals.
Neal Maupay, Aaron Connolly and Glenn Murray have been brilliant for the side despite the team’s lack of consistency. Maupay is their top scorer with 8 goals in the league and has been excellent up front.
Connolly has featured in 17 games, scoring 2 goals and providing an assist. He is just 20 and has a lot of room for development. He can be their leader in the attack in the coming seasons. And veteran Glenn Murray has also done a decent job, featuring in 19 league games.
Apart from the strikers, the Seagulls have Leandro Trossard and Alireza Jahanbakhsh, both of whom have been supporting the strikers well. Therefore, they should consider selling Jurgen Locadia permanently in the summer.
The 26-year-old would find it difficult to return to the starting XI under Potter, given the other strikers in the squad have performed consistently better than the Dutchman. He would also be wasting their resources if he is going to be just benched at Brighton.
Instead, the former Eindhoven man can revive his career in the MLS as he would definitely get regular game time there.
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Verdict
Though Brighton have not been at their best, their strikers have been able to rescue them on several occasions and can get better with experience. And if Potter needs to add depth to his attacking unit, he should make a move for a youngster in the market.
Hence, offloading the Dutchman in the summer would help them in several ways as they can make room for new faces.
