Brighton & Hove Albion Close In On £20m Rated Iranian Star: Smart Move By Hughton?

According to a recent report by The Sun, Brighton & Hove Albion are set to smash their transfer record in order to sign AZ Alkmaar forward, Alireza Jahanbakhsh. Chris Hughton is keen to add more firepower to his armoury and the club is willing to roll out £20million to secure the services of Jahanbakhsh.

Hughton has been active this summer and has already lured some dazzling players like Yves Bissouma, Bernardo, Florin Andone, Percy Tau and David Button to his ranks. The Seagulls finished at the 15th spot in the Premier League standings last season with 40 points to their name but there is no denying that they are taking big steps to ensure that they fare in a better manner this term.

Hughton’s apparent interest to sign Jahanbakhsh makes complete sense, for he is a versatile attacker who can operate as a winger as well as a centre-forward. Apart from them, Leicester City, Napoli and West Ham United are also interested to make him sign on the dotted line. Thus, it would be really intriguing to see which club has the final laugh.

In 33 Eredivisie appearances last season, the 24-year-old plundered 21 goals and also registered 12 assists. He was the top scorer in Holland during the 2017-18 campaign and he played an instrumental role in firing Alkmaar into the 3rd place in the Dutch top flight standings and thus the qualifiers for the Europa League. Despite playing wide, he found the back of the net on a regular basis and no wonder his stocks are highly rated at the moment.

There are a lot of qualities which Jahanbakhsh could bring to Amex Stadium if the deal materializes. He has an element of fluidity in his game and his ability to create chances and to score goals was evident last season. He is a commendable passer of the ball and has raw pace and stamina to gallop up and down the pitch with relative ease. Besides, he can hold the ball really well in the final third.

During the World Cup held in Russia, Jahanbakhsh starred for the Iranian national side and earned rave reviews despite failing to score a goal. Despite being an attack-minded player, he contributes regularly to the defensive aspect of his side’s gameplay. Although he lacks the experience of English football, his quality and his confident demeanour suggests he can find his feet in no time.

Statistics Credits: WhoScored