Midfielders in demand - How will Brighton replace Mac Allister or Caicedo this summer?
Few could doubt that Brighton have undoubtedly been one of the most impressive teams in the Premier League this season and while Roberto De Zerbi’s squad is packed full of exciting, young talents, two in particular have stood out as the real galvanising forces that have propelled the Seagulls up the English top-flight table: Alexis Mac Allister and Moisés Caicedo.
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Signed for just €8 million and €5 million respectively, both central midfielders have gone from strength to strength at the English club and now boast a combined market value of no less than €97m. Indeed, their remarkable performances for Brighton this season are not only evident through the manner in which their market values have skyrocketed in the past 12 months (+€26m for Mac Allister and +€49m for Caicedo) but also by the growing list of clubs desperately to sign either player in the summer window.
Indeed, while Brighton fans may not wish to consider the thought just yet, it seems almost certain that at least one of this dynamic duo will leave the club this summer for a fee that will almost certainly surpass the club’s transfer record for a departing player, which currently stands at €65.3m after Marc Cucurella left to sign for Chelsea last summer. So, if Mac Allister or Caicedo are set to leave the club this summer, how well prepared are Brighton to replace either star midfielder and do they perhaps already have a long-term replacement in mind? Let’s take a look.
Do Brighton already have a Mac Allister or Caicedo replacement?
While it seems certain that Brighton will turn to the transfer window if they receive a huge transfer fee for either midfielder, it’s worth taking a look at the club’s current first team squad to see if De Zerbi may turn to other players to step in for Mac Allister or Caicedo next season.
In Kacper Kozlowski, Steven Alzate and Yasin Ayari, Brighton do have three young talents that could play a more significant role next season. Kozlowski, in particular, was signed from Pogon Szczecin for €11m in 2021 after impressing as an attacking, box-to-box midfielder in the style of Mac Allister. And in Alzate, Brighton have a Colombian midfielder that seems perfectly comfortable playing as a holding midfielder with the quick feet and passing to slot into Caicedo’s role. However, both players have offered mixed results on loan at Vitesse and Standard Liège this season and would need to make a significant step up to be starting in the Premier League for Brighton after the summer.
More likely candidates for the midfield roles can likely be found in Jakub Moder and Billy Gilmour. Moder, signed for €11m from Lech Poznan in 2020, certainly showed what he could do last season, before a serious injury ruled him out for much of this campaign. But fans will be eager to see him back playing a more attacking, box-to-box role for the club next season and potentially in place of Mac Allister. Similarly, De Zerbi has begun starting Gilmour more and more in the second half of the season as a holding midfielder in his team, following his €8.3m move from Chelsea last summer. The young Scotland international is exceptionally technically gifted and has a good eye for breaking down opposing moves and launching counter attacks for his team. Which may put him in good stead as a long-term replacement for Caicedo next season.
Will they sign new replacements this summer?
Brighton definitely have a number of talented midfielders that could step up to the role of replacing Mac Allister or Caicedo but if reports are to be believed, the club will also bring in a few new faces to help accommodate for the departure of either star in the summer. For example, Liverpool midfielder James Milner is widely expected to join the club when his contract at Anfield expires next month and De Zerbi has all but confirmed that Borussia Dortmund midfielder Mahmoud Dahoud will also join the club on a free transfer this summer.
Elsewhere, the club have also been heavily linked with moves for Sassuolo pair Davide Frattesi and Maxime Lopez. The former being a 23-year-old attacking midfielder in a similar mould to Mac Allister and the latter being a 25-year-old defensive midfielder that could potentially replace Caicedo next season. However, both players boast a combined market value of more than €35m and would almost certainly demand a large transfer fee if Brighton where to make a move so soon after cashing in on their own star players.
Homepage
- Date of Birth/Age:
- 24.12.1998 (24)
- Nat.:
- Current club:
- Brighton & Hove Albion
- Contract until:
- Jun 30, 2025
- Position:
- Central Midfield
- Market Value:
- €42.00m
- Date of Birth/Age:
- 02.11.2001 (21)
- Nat.:
- Current club:
- Brighton & Hove Albion
- Contract until:
- Jun 30, 2027
- Position:
- Defensive Midfield
- Market Value:
- €55.00m
Kacper Kozlowski 
Steven Alzate 
Yasin Ayari 
Jakub Moder 
Billy Gilmour 
James Milner 
Mahmoud Dahoud 
Davide Frattesi 
Maxime López 
Marc Cucurella 
- Date of Birth/Age:
- 06.06.1979 (43)
- Nat.:
- Current club:
- Brighton & Hove Albion
- Current Position:
- Manager
- Contract until:
- Jun 30, 2026
- In charge since:
- Sep 17, 2022
- Total Market Value:
- €347.60m
- Competition:
- Premier League
- Position:
- 6.
- Manager:
- Roberto De Zerbi
- Squad size:
- 27
- Latest Transfer:
- Yasin Ayari
Pogon Szczecin 
SV Vitesse Standard Liège 
Lech Poznan Chelsea FC Liverpool FC Borussia Dortmund US Sassuolo 