Squad In Decent Shape
Brighton’s squad is also relatively healthy, with only two senior players out injured. Lewis Dunk is set to return before the end of January, while the extent of Enock Mwepu’s hamstring issue in the 2-1 FA Cup win over West Bromwich Albion on Saturday is still unknown.
Yves Bissouma is also away at the Africa Cup of Nations with Mali, but Potter has no other major absentees beyond that trio.
In Front Of Goal
As a result, Brighton have the luxury of entering the market in search of players who are genuine upgrades on their current options, rather than simply looking to plug gaps.
One area where the South Coast side can clearly improve is in front of goal. Potter’s men have scored just 20 times in 19 league fixtures and their top scorer in the competition, Neal Maupay, is the only player to have broken the five-goal barrier – netting seven times.
Wolves – who have scored a paltry 14 times in the league so far – are the only team outside of the bottom three to have registered fewer goals than Brighton at this stage.
Room for a new, high quality forward has been created in the Seagulls’ squad, following the departures of Jurgen Locadia to VfL Bochum and Aaron Connolly on loan to Middlesbrough.
However, whether that player is a wide attacker or a central striker largely depends on the system Potter settles on going forward.
The former Ostersunds and Swansea City head coach has turned Brighton into a tactically flexible unit since his appointment in 2019, but there has been a clear shift away from the back three that was utilised in each of their first nine league outings.
Goalscoring Winger
Potter has set his men up with a back four in eight of their last 10 Premier League fixtures and – should he persist with this new defensive arrangement – it is more likely that a goalscoring winger will be added rather than a centre-forward, given the presence of both Maupay and Danny Welbeck.
However, should the 46-year-old decide that he will revert to a back three system in the medium-term, additional cover in defence may be required.
Defensive Cover
Brighton possess four senior central defenders in Dunk, Shane Duffy, Dan Burn and Adam Webster, while Joel Veltman is able to play both centrally and at right-back – plenty of cover for a back four.
However, that arrangement leaves the Seagulls a little light if three of that crop are going to be playing at once, or four if Veltman features in a wider role.
An extra centre-back or full-back would provide additional depth in defence, but it is by no means a desperate situation.
Should Mwepu’s injury turn out to be serious, the absence of both the Zambian and Bissouma could tempt Brighton to look at short-term central midfield options, but Potter still has Adam Lallana, Jakub Moder, Pascal Gross and Alexis Mac Allister in the meantime.
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