Leicester City star midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall could be on his way to the South Coast.
Reports from Fabrizio Romano, top Brighton reporters, and from Poland have all confirmed that Brighton and Leicester have agreed to a swap deal involving Dewsbury-Hall and Brighton’s Jakub Moder.
Both clubs have given a green-light to the deal and Moder is open to the move. Dewsbury-Hall, meanwhile, has not committed to the deal after Chelsea made a last-minute enquiry with Leicester about the midfielder.
Dewsbury-Hall played for Chelsea’s new manager Enzo Maresca in the Championship with Leicester last season, but it’s not clear where he will fit in at Stamford Bridge considering the Blues’ plethora of midfield options.
Despite the uncertainty about where and whether he will play, Dewsbury-Hall is reportedly waiting for Chelsea to make their offer before deciding his future.
If the Englishman does go to Chelsea, it will be a massive blow to Brighton’s 2024 transfer plans. The Seagulls have been after Dewsbury-Hall since at least the January transfer window earlier this year.
Brighton reportedly value the Leicester City man at £30m. If they manage to get the deal over the line, Dewsbury-Hall would be the joint-most expensive player in Brighton history.
Even with their Financial Fair Play (FFP) and Profit and Sustainability (PSR), Chelsea could probably afford to offer Dewsbury-Hall higher wages and Leicester a bigger fee than Brighton can. The Foxes have their own FFP and PSR problems of their own, so they are likely to accept any solid offer that comes their way for the midfielder.
Dewsbury-Hall played 44 of Liecester’s 46 matches in the Championship last season, scoring 12 goals and dishing out 14 assists. Only four players in the division had more goal contributions than him. Dewsbury-Hall was also fifth in the Championship for key passes. He led the league in expected assisted goals and goal-creating actions.
Beyond the numbers, it was clear to anyone who watched Leicester City last season that Dewsbury-Hall was a class above the rest of the league. Whoever signs him this summer will be getting a very solid midfielder who could develop into one of the Premier League’s best passers.
