Brighton are flying this season in the Premier League, something which has been brewing for years to come. After seven matches, the Sussex club sit seventh in the Premier League, find themselves in an FA Cup Semi-Final, and will hope to make the final this weekend for the first time since 1983.
Despite losing Graham Potter midway through the season, Brighton have continued, if not gotten better, under Italian Manager Roberto De Zerbi. Punters placing mma bets might have also been tempted to back Brighton to finish in the European places this season, and at one stage it looked like they could finish in the top four.
The main reason for their success is having a young squad of talented individuals, all found by the magnificent scouting system at Brighton, which sees them sign players relatively under the radar and develop them into top talents.
One of the areas they have targeted is South America. While it’s not unheard of for clubs in the Premier League to sign players from Latin America directly, it’s rare and a model that clubs like Porto and Benfica have operated for a while, often having great success.
Alexis Mac Allister
One of the first of the current side to join Brighton and what a perfect choice it has been for both player and club. When Mac Allister first joined the club, he spent a year out on loan in his native country to help further his development. Upon his return, Mac Allister would improve each season in the Premier League and 2022, he helped Argentina to the World Cup and both parties were understandably delighted with the achievement.
Moisés Caicedo
Despite being a consistent performer for Ecuador and Independiente del Valle aged just 19, many clubs were reluctant to pay the 4 Million pounds that Brighton paid and what a masterstroke it turned out to be for the Seagulls, who now have one of the top midfielders in the Premier League and already look set to make a huge profit on him, should he leave.
Julio Enciso
Nicknamed the Jewel in Paraguayan football after guiding Libertad Asuncion to the Apertura title and Copa Paraguay, Julio Enciso looks like he’s going to be another quality signing by the seaside club. Having spent his early days at Brighton in the youth sides, he is slowly starting to break into the first team and at the weekend, he showed what he’s capable of with not just a delightful goal in the win over Chelsea, but a top draw performance too.
Highlights reel of #BHAFC’s exceptional Julio Enciso yesterday.
The focus on his stupendous match winning goal has distracted, slightly, from an incredible performance throughout.
Enjoy!pic.twitter.com/2ARvDBt3UA
— North Stand Chat (@NorthStandChat) April 16, 2023
Facundo Buonanotte
Buonanotte is the most recent mover to Brighton from South America having joined from Rosario Central in the January transfer window for a fee of 5.3 million. Aged only 18, the Argentine has impressed so far during the four games he has played, racking up an assist in a win over West Ham. His performances caught the attention of Lionel Scaloni who called him up to the Argentine national team last month.