Brighton transfer news: De Zerbi eyes battle with European elite for £31m star

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Brighton & Hove Albion will reportedly battle the likes of Napoli and Juventus to sign Davide Frattesi in the summer, with West Ham also interested in the Sassuolo midfielder.

According to journalist Ciro Venerato, the Seagulls could give the European giants, as well as Inter Milan, a run for their money in the race to sign the Italian international, who could be set to leave Sassuolo this summer amid growing transfer interest.

Venerato said: “I give you the official news on Napoli with regards to the transfer market. Aurelio De Laurentiis’ club entered the auction for Frattesi. There are also Juventus and Inter, but not only. There is a fourth wheel that aims to annoy Italian clubs and it is Roberto De Zerbi’s Brighton.”

Valued at €35m (£31m) according to CalcioMercato, Brighton were heavily linked with Frattesi in January as Roberto De Zerbi looked to bring the midfielder to the Premier League. However, the Amex Stadium side were unable to secure the funds to sign the 23-year-old, who could have ended up at West Ham.

TuttoMercatoWeb reported that the Irons were also in the hunt to sign Frattesi, alongside Premier League rivals Tottenham, yet with Brighton playing some of the best football in the division and having an incredible long-term vision under De Zerbi, the midfielder could be tempted with a move to the south coast.

Indeed, whilst interest from Napoli and Juventus could cause some issues, the financial strength of the Premier League makes Brighton an obvious candidate to land Frattesi’s signature, even if the Neapolitan side manage to win the Serie A title and go far in the UEFA Champions League.

Brighton must somehow beat Napoli to sign Frattesi this summer

Brighton have a realistic chance of signing Frattesi in the summer. However, whilst the Seagulls might be one of the most interesting clubs in England, Napoli can lay claim to being arguably the most exciting team in all of Europe, something De Zerbi might struggle to battle against.

As we know, Napoli are destroying the Serie A title race this season as well as already have one foot in the door for the next stage of the Champions League, and for Frattesi, the Naples-based side could be the perfect next step for his career even with Premier League interest around.