Brighton appear to be on the verge of finalising a deal for Adrian Mazilu.
According to Romanian publication Pro Sport, Brighton’s move for Adrian Mazilu is essentially a done deal, with an initial fee of £3.4 million having been agreed. He will join the Seagulls in January 2024.
The 17-year-old has already shown his quality in the Romanian top flight, having established himself as a regular for Farul Constanta last season. Mazilu amassed 21 appearances for the club last time out, and notched seven goals, as he flourished in a sensational first season of senior football.
A switch to the Premier League obviously represents a huge step up. Whether or not Mazilu can adjust to the top flight of English football remains to be seen, but time is very much on his side. Roberto De Zerbi won’t expect Mazilu to have a huge impact in the particularly near future.
Is Mazilu Brighton’s latest transfer masterstroke?
Brighton have already enjoyed success as a result of their transfer model of buying relatively unknown, cheap young talents and developing them into stars at the Amex Stadium who are then sold on for a huge profit.
Examples of this model include Yves Bissouma, who joined Brighton as a 21-year-old for £15 million in 2018. He was then moved on to Spurs in a switch worth up to £35 million in 2022. The Seagulls recently received another £35 million for World Cup winner Alexis Mac Allister. Moises Caicedo cost the club just £4.5 million and is now on the verge of a £100 million switch to Chelsea, though that is yet to be finalised.
The capture of Mazilu suggests Brighton are committed to sticking with this model which has so far brought them so much success both on the pitch as well as from a financial perspective. Mazilu could the club’s latest stroke of transfer market genius.
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