One of Graham Potter’s statement signings in the summer was to lure Brentford striker Neal Maupay to the Amex Stadium for a meagre £16m. The Frenchman has been a revelation in the Premier League this season for the Seagulls, but it has come at a cost for one of Brighton’s most loved squad members.
Glenn Murray is the Seagulls record Premier League goalscorer by a considerable margin and is only behind Tommy Cook in the all-time goalscoring list. But this season he has been almost wholly axed from the squad having been the Brighton’s top scorer for the past three seasons running. Time is running out for the 36-year-old, this term Murray is yet to find the back of the net, and he has made a meagre three Premier League starts.
Meanwhile, Maupay, valued at £19.8m (Transfermarkt), has transitioned seamlessly into the Englishman’s role as a leading goal contributor. So far, the Frenchman has found the back of the net seven times in the Premier League, over double of defender Adam Webster who is next on the lest with three. In fact, Maupay has provided 28 per cent of the Seagulls’ strikes this season, and much like when Murray was firing, they would be in a heap of trouble without him. Had Brighton’s top scorer failed to find the target this season the Seagulls would be nine points worse off and sitting second from bottom in the Premier League.
Instead, Potter’s side find themselves four points from the drop zone in a considerably more favourable position, where Premier League survival is a genuine possibility. The Seagulls have not slipped into the relegation zone once this season and a significant factor in them staying narrowly above the dogfight is Maupay’s goals.
Replacing Murray is the equivalent to Brighton of Tottenham Hotspur signing a new striker to take over from Harry Kane; an almost unthinkable task which would have been easy to get catastrophically wrong. But in his first season with the club, Potter has masterminded the transition to a new talisman effortlessly, and Maupay also deserves the credit for acclimatising to the set up after scoring 25 Championship goals last term. It may have been harsh to see a fan favourite cut out so quickly, but if it keeps Brighton afloat, no one will complain given the Frenchman’s impressive contribution at the Amex.
