Sussex World reporters Derren Howard and Sam Morton discuss Liverpool's reported interest in Brighton's Japanese winger Kaoru Mitoma
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00:00Okay, welcome to a transfer edition of the Goal Malfaction Podcast. I'm delighted to be joined by Sam Morton. Sam, I wanted to talk about Karam Atoma this morning. He's been linked with a summer move to Liverpool.
00:19Last January, there was a couple of bids that came in from Saudi Pro League club Al Nasser for him, reported to be around about the 60 or 70 million mark. But Brighton don't often sell in January and apparently Matoma was more keen for the Champions League football. This summer is going to be very interesting, isn't it, for him and what happened to his Brighton career?
00:42100%. Yeah, it certainly is. He's obviously one of Brighton's key players. He's obviously been the player that can kind of get people off their seats and real excitement. And even right from the early days when he kind of was obviously an impact player and he would obviously be brought off the bench and obviously can really make a difference in those latter stages of the game.
01:02But I think as time's gone, he's just become one of those players that's just always in the team if he's fit. And he's just, he's always, he seems to always be available kind of in key stages of the season. He's kind of very rarely out injured.
01:16And there's been a few occasions where he's kind of flown long distances with Japan and he's come back and he's played 90 minutes for Brighton. And that does sometimes affect his form and you often see the best of him as a result, but it's, it's really admirable kind of how, how kind of available he is for Brighton.
01:33And he is such a quality player. We've seen obviously some of the cold he's scored, especially this season, probably scored the goal of the season against Chelsea. And he's just a player that Brighton will be absolutely desperate to keep hold of if they possibly can. But, but we know that obviously they are a selling club and if, and if the bid is too good to refuse, then, then they can let him go.
01:53And obviously they did have that huge bid in January, which isn't, as you say, the time of year, they want to let players go. And when they were fighting on all fronts at the time and the cups and trying to qualify for Europe, it just didn't make financial or kind of logistical sense for them to let him go at that time.
02:09But it could be a completely different story in the summer. And, and we've heard that obviously Liverpool are reportedly keen on him. So yeah, it'd be, it'd be interesting to see how the next few months go.
02:18And obviously I think a lot will depend on Brighton and if they do qualify for European competition next season, because if they don't, Matoma and other players might look at it and think they're, they're too good to not be playing in Europe.
02:31Yeah. Yeah, that's, that's true. So he's, he's got two years left on his contract this summer. So Brighton are in quite a strong position when it, when it comes to, if it, if it comes to selling.
02:41And Paul Barber's already said previously that it's likely, he was asked about Matoma and Carlos Boliba in particular last month.
02:49And he said, it's likely they will sell, but then he sort of gave a caveat to say, it's not necessarily going to be this summer.
02:56If they did, he's got two years left on his contract. A, could you see him fitting in at Liverpool if, if these reports are true and how much, how much do you think Brighton should be getting for him?
03:06Yeah, I think they'll be getting, be demanding a huge, huge amount of money. I think obviously they'll let Alexis McAllister go to Liverpool for, for quite a cheap deal, obviously around the 30, 35 million pound mark.
03:17Obviously we thought at the time it was quite low for a player of his quality, a World Cup winner. And he's obviously been fantastic for Liverpool this season.
03:25And it looks almost certain he's going to be a Premier League title winner with them as well. So you would hope to get some more money than, than that.
03:34But I think obviously with, with Salah signing a new contract and you kind of wonder how many, how many more years he'll, he'll be there.
03:42Obviously he's been obviously the, the main man for Liverpool for, for a number of years now.
03:46They've also got Luis Diaz and Jota as well. So they've got a lot of players in there, but I do think Matoma would, would only, would boost those, those kinds of positions.
03:55And would definitely be, be challenging to, to start in, in that team, obviously as, as, as future seasons for them.
04:02But from a Brighton point of view that I think they would be absolutely desperate.
04:05And I think it would take a huge bid, I think for, for Brighton to, to part ways with Matoma.
04:10And he is one of those players that, that fans would be absolutely devastated to, to see go, I think really.
04:16And I would too. And I think you've said previously, he's definitely one of kind of a, as a, as a journalist point of view,
04:21one of the best players to, to watch in that Brighton team and how kind of exciting he is to watch.
04:26And just some of the moments of magic that you can produce out of nothing.
04:29And the first touch and everything like that is a real quality player.
04:33And he's obviously made his name at Brighton, which a lot of players have, but especially, especially Matoma.
04:39And he's obviously come into football at quite a late stage of his, of his life.
04:43And he, he hasn't followed the usual trend a lot of footballers do.
04:47So it's a real, real breath of fresh air, actually, the kind of the path that Matoma has been on.
04:51And you wouldn't at all begrudge him if he was to move to, to Liverpool and, and following the footsteps of McAllister.
04:57But I think, yeah, it'd be fantastic if Brighton can get at least another season from him.
05:02Yeah, yeah, I, I agree.
05:04It'd be, personally, I'd love to watch him at the Amex for another season.
05:07But I, I just got a feeling that this summer there, there could be some, some, some movement, unfortunately.
05:13I don't, it's just a hunch that I haven't heard any, anything official, but it's just, just how I sort of see it with his age.
05:20He's, he's sort of, you know, he'll be 28 in May.
05:23And I think Brighton might look at that and think this is the peak time to sell him.
05:29Um, they bought him for just 3 million in, in, in, you know, 2021 from Kawasaki Fontal.
05:35And it's, he's been a huge success story and a player that they're going to make quite a bit of profit on as usual, but they picked the right time to sell.
05:43If they sold Trossard to Arsenal, they knew they had Matoma waiting in the wings to, to come in.
05:49I'm not sure Brighton have that this time.
05:51If they sell Matoma this summer, looking at the backups, there's obviously Sim, Simona Dingra.
05:57Um, Julio and Ciso's on loan at Ipswich potentially could fill that left side.
06:03Solly March can play on the left side, but you know, he's, he's, um, he's sort of getting into the later stages of his career now and coming back from injury.
06:11They've got Ibrahim Osman on loan at Finoid, uh, he's 16 million winger.
06:15They brought in from Nordisland, uh, last summer.
06:18He hasn't really, he's been okay at Finoid.
06:21He's had a patchy patchy sort of loan.
06:23So he hasn't really suggested that he can, you know, be a success in the Premier League.
06:27Tommy Watson, they brought in from Sunderland again, one for the future, probably 18 years old.
06:32And then South Korean, um, I'll pronounce this carefully, Yun Doyeng, um, Yun Doyeng that they brought in from, uh, Daejeon Hana Citizen.
06:42Uh, again, he's expected to go out on loan next year, but he could be the next sort of Asian, uh, talent that Brighton, Brighton have.
06:50It's a bit of a concern, isn't it?
06:52They're going to have to dip into the, if they sell Matoma, they're going to have to dip into the market.
06:56Would you, would you think?
06:57I think so.
06:58I think, yeah, on this, this time around, there is no obvious replacement.
07:01Like there was obviously when, when Trossard left, as you say, um, cause obviously Matoma was already kind of being brought into the team.
07:08As I mentioned earlier, as, as kind of a substitute, and he was really kind of getting into the, into the team and really kind of, uh, showing what you can do and how he can fit into the team.
07:16So when Trossard went, it was a, he was a ready-made replacement.
07:19Um, but I think, yeah, definitely this, this time around, there's going to be a few question marks over who would, who would replace him.
07:26We've obviously seen bits and pieces, um, from kind of some of the players in the team.
07:30I think they potentially would go back into the transfer market.
07:33And we know how good Brighton are, um, at doing that and picking up, um, players that perhaps other clubs haven't even thought about.
07:39Um, and they can definitely, definitely kind of, uh, find a replacement.
07:43I think I, I, I backed Brighton to do it more than any other club really.
07:47Um, cause they've done it so many times and it would, it would definitely be a, a first if they were to, to fall short of a, of a, um, of a ready-made replacement in, in the transfer market.
07:57But, but you never know, obviously Brighton could, could, it could be one that they, they just can't get, it can't get right this time around.
08:03So there's definitely, definitely concern there, but I feel like if Brighton were to sanction that move, they would be doing some research constantly.
08:10And we know kind of how, um, how astute the, the transfer, um, team at Brighton are and kind of, they know exactly what they're doing.
08:18So I feel like they, they, they, they'll be well prepared for any eventuality.
08:22And if Ms Holman does, does leave, I'm sure they've got something up there.
08:25Let's leave as a, as a, as a, as a replacement for him.
08:28If he does, if he does go.
08:29Yeah.
08:30Yeah.
08:31Trust the process as, uh, Fabian Herzella would say probably.
08:34So, uh, yeah, but, uh, but no, thanks.
08:36Uh, thanks for that, Sam.
08:37It's certainly one to keep an eye on.
08:39We've, um, we've got the stories up on, uh, on Sussex world about the latest on, on what's, uh, what's been happening and, uh, we'll keep a close eye on it throughout the, um,
08:47throughout the, uh, throughout the, uh, throughout the next months or so.
08:51But, uh, but thanks for joining us, Sam.
08:53And, um, we look forward to, um, you're at Brentford this Saturday, aren't you?
08:56For, um, for the Brighton game.
08:58So.
08:59Yes.
09:00Yeah.
09:01Big game this, big game this Saturday.
09:02Brighton will be obviously, um, looking to, yeah, looking to get back to winning ways.
09:05Uh, they've obviously dropped 10th in the table now after Bournemouth's win against Fulham,
09:09which wasn't necessarily the, the worst result because it keeps it all very close.
09:13And all three teams, Bournemouth, Fulham and Brighton are all level on points.
09:16Uh, we know that eighth place could, could be enough for, um, at least.
09:21Yeah.
09:22Yeah.
09:23Yeah.
09:24Yeah.
09:25I think it's, it's, it's definitely not, not the, at the end of the, end of the season.
09:29We've got lots, lots to pay for, lots of points.
09:3218 points.
09:33Yeah.
09:3418 points to play for still.
09:35So, um, so no, thanks.
09:36Uh, thanks very much, Sam.
09:37We'll look out for your coverage and, uh, take a look at sussexworld.co.uk.
09:41Thanks there.
09:42.
09:51,
09:52.