Brighton are looking to finally reinforce at the right back position. After years of relying on Tariq Lamptey and Joel Veltman, the Seagulls have identified multiple right back targets for the 2024 summer transfer window. One of top names on Brighton’s shortlist is Andrei Rațiu.
Both Diario AS in Spain and top Brighton reporter Andy Naylor claim the Seagulls are interested in signing the 26-year-old.
Rațiu has been one of the top players at Euro 2024. His bombs forward from the right back position and blue hair has made him one of the icons of the tournament that people will remember when looking back on the 2024 tournament.
If you hadn’t heard of Rațiu before the Euros, I don’t blame you. He is a second string right back for Rayo Vallecano, who finished 17th in La Liga last season. So why is a club as smart as Brighton interested in a player who doesn’t even start for a La Liga relegation candidate?
For one, Rațiu is rapid. He used his speed to neutralize Vinicius Junior against Real Madrid in La Liga last season. In the Euros against Ukraine, Rațiu went toe-to-toe with Mykhailo Mudryk as Romania beat the Blue and Yellow 3-0.
Some other strong points in Rațiu’s favor is his work rate and 1-v-1 defending. As he showed against Vini Jr. and Mudryk, Rațiu is a very capable defender. He’s at his best when he has a simple role of shutting down one player.
Offensively, Rațiu can play RB/RWB/RM, making him a good fit for many systems. He loves going forward, especially with the ball at his feet so he can take players on out wide.
However, as good as Rațiu is at defending 1-v-1, he often lacks concentration. If he’s not locked in, he can be a liability at times. Going forward, Rațiu does not contribute much in possession besides his dribbling ability.
A team like Brighton who possess the ball more could be better suited for Rațiu than teams like Rayo or Romania, but there’s a reason he doesn’t start for his club. Rațiu would have to take a massive leap in order to become a solid player for the Seagulls in the Premier League.
For £8.5m, Brighton could find a lot better right backs than Rațiu.
