Seeing the bright side of the Carlos Soler to Brighton transfer rumors

Brighton have made waves this transfer window by signing some of Europe’s best wonderkids. The Seagulls now look ready to buck their transfer strategy to sign a high-profile veteran player from Paris Saint-Germain. 

According to Le Parisien, Brighton are interested in signing Spanish midfielder Carlos Soler from the French giants. 

Soler, 27, has been a productive player for PSG, but he’s never been a great fit. The Parisians signed him from Valencia in 2022 for €18m. After just one season, PSG were willing to let him go and started shopping him around to other clubs. 

Brighton were one of the clubs linked to Soler last summer. Those links ramped up in the January transfer window, but have since gone quiet. Until now, that is. 

On paper, Soler seems like a strange fit for Brighton. He’s a player in the back end of his career and almost certainly will be the club’s highest paid player if he is signed. However, Soler could be exactly the kind of player Brighton need right now. 

The Seagulls are set to lose Pascal Gross to Dortmund this summer. The German is not only Brighton’s best player, but also pretty much their only playmaker. Replacing him before the season should be Brighton’s No. 1 priority. Soler could be that replacement. 

Soler had nearly 20 goal contributions in each of his final two seasons in La Liga before signing for PSG. He also proved to be a solid crosser and corner taker for Valencia, which are both things Gross also did well for Brighton. 

Most reports say it would take €18m-€24m to sign Soler. This is not cheap, but it is not crazy expensive either. It would be a risky signing, but if he is willing to take a big pay cut, signing Soler is a risk worth taking for Brighton.