According to a recent report by Mail Online, Brighton & Hove Albion are close to completing a double deal for Billy Arce and Morteza Pouraliganji. Under the tutelage of Chris Hughton, the Seagulls managed to refrain themselves from falling into the clutches of the relegation zone last season in the Premier League. They garnered 40 points and finished at the 15th spot in the league standings.
Hughton is keen to beef up his ranks to enhance their chances of finishing higher in the league table. He has already secured some smashing signings, including Alireza Jahanbakhsh, Yves Bissouma, Bernardo and Florin Andone and is apparently still active in the market. Brighton & Hove Albion already look like a promising team on paper and it would be intriguing to see how they fare in the coming days.
Arce is a highly rated Ecuadorian who plies his trade for Independiente del Valle. The 20-year-old is expected to sign a four-year contract with the English top flight side but would immediately be loaned out to brush himself further. He has featured 22 times for the Ecuadorian club this season with the league going on in full swing and has managed to find the back of the net on 7 occasions.
As per the report, he is set to be loaned out to Spanish side Albacete after his move to the AMEX Stadium materializes. Arce is a versatile forward and would be an interesting signing. He is certainly going to be bookmarked for the future and thus, it is evident that Hughton is not only looking to meet his side’s current needs but is also keen to ensure that they have the right personnel for the coming seasons as well.
On the other hand, Pouraliganji is currently a free agent and operates as a centre-back. He would be available for free as his contract with the Qatari side Al-Sadd expired on 1st July. The 26-year-old is a vastly experienced defender and would be a handy addition to Hughton’s camp. Pouraliganj is a teammate of Brighton’s club record signing Jahanbakhsh in the Iranian national side.
He has mustered 30 caps for his national side and played every minute of the 2018 World Cup in Russia and he certainly impressed on the pitch against Morocco, Portugal and Spain. He has the calibre to bring more resilience to Hughton’s back line and would provide a healthy competition for a place in their defensive line.
Stats Courtesy: Whoscored
