Transfer Centre

Chris Hughton prepared to break Brighton & Hove Albion's transfer record

By Daniel Lewis, Senior Reporter | 21 December 2017

Chris Hughton acknowledges that Brighton & Hove Albion will have to spend big if they are to bring in the striking target they are after during the winter window.

Brighton & Hove Albion manager Chris Hughton has suggested that he is willing to break the club's transfer record to strengthen his attacking options next month.

The Seagulls splashed out £13.5m to bring in Jose Izquierdo from Club Brugge in the summer, beating the fees paid for Davy Propper and Mathew Ryan earlier in the same window.

Hughton was keen to bring in a new striker at the time, but he missed out on his targets and Brighton have since struggled in front of goal.

Having netted just 14 Premier League goals all term - only West Bromwich Albion and Swansea City have scored fewer - Hughton will not shy away from spending big in January.

"If we look at the value of players we saw a huge increase this summer," he told reporters. "I'm quite sure that the valuations won't be going down in this period.

"Anybody that might move from one club to another, whether it's from an English club to another English club or a foreign club to an English club, the values will be what they were in the summer if not more.

"We will only do something in January if it's right for us to do. We need to make sure that our squad is as strong as possible going into this last stage of the season.

"If there is the right player available and it's one that we feel can add to what we do here, then there will be interest but only if it's right. We will work as hard as we can leading into January and if anything happens, it'll be because it's right."

Moussa Dembele is the player to have been most strongly linked with a move to Brighton, but Hughton refused to confirm if he was interested in the Celtic striker.