The Seagulls are soaring, and their incredible success in recent years owes much to their meticulous use of loan deals
Kaoru Mitoma has been one of Brighton's biggest stars since returning from a loan spell at Union Saint-Gilloise(Image credit: Getty Images)
Brighton's conveyor belt of talent seems never-ending – and as well as bringing in a steady stream of prodigious players, the business they do in the other direction plays a key part too.
The loan market has helped the Seagulls soar to the highest heights in their history, recording their best ever league finish of sixth in the Premier League last season and securing European football for the very first time.
And the club's technical director, former Everton and Scotland defender David Weir, has given FourFourTwo an insight into how they approach loans – using global marketplace TransferRoom and its Plus Pitch tool in order to find the ideal loan club for a player's specific skillset.
David Weir was previously Brighton's loan manager (Image credit: Getty Images)
"It’s a way and means of talking to a lot of different clubs very quickly," Weir explains, "making them aware of a situation that might have popped up short-term, or a longer-term solution that you’re looking for further down the line.
"It’s helpful, although it isn’t everything," he continues. "We use it in combination with Gordon Greer, our pathway manager, who makes countless calls, talks to many people, and has vast experience in finding clubs that will work for different players."
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The likes of Ben White, Alexis Mac Allister and Moises Caicedo have all benefitted from loan spells away from Brighton, returning to establish themselves in the first team and generating substantial transfer fees.
Brighton continued their stunning start to the 2023/24 Premier League campaign with a comfortable 3-1 win over Manchester United at Old Trafford on Saturday.
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Tom Hancock started freelancing for FourFourTwo in April 2019 and has also written for the Premier League and Opta Analyst, among others. He supports Wycombe Wanderers and has a soft spot for Wealdstone. A self-confessed statto, he has been known to watch football with a spreadsheet (or several) open...
