An unsettling January transfer window for Brighton’s Ivory Coast international and AFCON winner
I couldn’t help thinking about Simon Adingra on transfer deadline day.
Brighton were in hot pursuit of Sunderland’s Tommy Watson – an 18-year-old winger with big potential – and Adingra was linked with a loan in the opposite direction. The proposed loan reportedly included an option to buy, if Régis Le Bris’ Black Cats sealed promotion to the Premier League next season.
As it turned out, Brighton failed to finalise a deal before the 11pm deadline and the Seagulls may now try once again for the coveted England under-21 international next summer.
Fair enough, although the whole situation must have had an unsettling impact on Adingra, who has struggled to make his mark under Fabian Hurzeler this season.
Adingra has two goals this term from only six starts and also has three goals in three starts in the Carabao Cup.
His five in all competitions is five more than Brajan Gruda, two more than Yankuba Minteh, the same as Joao Pedro and Kaoru Mitoma, and one behind Georginio Rutter and Danny Welbeck.
Brighton are clearly well stocked in attacking areas and Adingra, who was man of the match in the AFCON final against Nigeria when Ivory Coast won the tournament last year, is currently behind Mitoma for the left wing slot.
Last season, under previous head coach Roberto De Zerbi, the 23-year-old made 25 top flight starts, with six goals, but many of those arrived in the second half of the season as Mitoma struggled with a lower back injury.
This term, Mitoma has been in full flow and it’s hard to make a solid case for Andingra starting ahead of the Japan international. He is though capable of playing on the right, where Minteh’s form has proved erratic, Gruda is yet to show his best following his £25m summer arrival from Mainz and Solly March remains hindered by injury.
Adingra may not be as eye-catching as a Mitoma or Minteh but he’s often ruthless in front goal when he gets his chance, something Brighton have lacked this season.
His stats stack up nicely and it’s easy to see why the likes of De Zerbi’s Marseille and Bundesliga club RB Leipzig have been linked with a £20m moves for the man who joined Brighton for around £8m from Danish club Nordsjaelland in 2022.
In total he has 12 goals and four assists in 59 outings for Brighton, while on loan at Union SG he registered an impressive 15 goals and 15 assists from 51 matches. During his time at Nordsjaelland he returned 12 goals and four assists from 40 appearances. Solid stuff.
Adingra is under contract with Brighton until June 2026 but he and his agent, Fidus Sports, must be seriously eyeing his next move, if the Sunderland links were true.
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