3 Liverpool Players Who Should Follow Joao Carlos Teixeira to Brighton
Last week, Brighton & Hove Albion signed Liverpool midfielder Joao Carlos Teixeira on a season-long loan, in a move which significantly bolsters the Seagulls' midfield options.
On the announcement of this deal, Brighton manager Sami Hyypia told the official Brighton website:
We are delighted to have brought Joao in for the season and we are very grateful to Liverpool. The reports I have seen on him are very positive and my former colleagues at Liverpool have told me he is a very bright young prospect who is held in high regard at the club at all levels.
A former Red, the Finn utilised his contacts with the Merseyside club in order to secure this deal, with the Portuguese midfielder highly rated at Liverpool.
Further involvement between the two clubs could be beneficial to both parties, with Liverpool's peripheral or youth figures gaining vital experience and Brighton receiving a low-cost, high-quality player.
Per football-league.co.uk, Brighton are able to sign a further three players on loan from the Reds; a maximum of two of these signings can be over 23 years old.
If Hyypia were to open his filofax and call the Liverpool hierarchy once more, which other players should Brighton sign from the Reds this season?
Jack Robinson (Left-Back)
Losing out to Premier League outfit Burnley in the lengthy pursuit of left-back Stephen Ward, per BBC Sport, was a bitter blow for the Seagulls.
With Adam Chicksen the only established left-back option at the club so far, with Inigo Calderon deputising in recent weeks, Brighton are in dire need of another signing in this area.
Liverpool defender Jack Robinson has been linked with a loan move to East Sussex this summer, with Jacob Steinberg of The Guardian reporting the club's interest.
The 20-year-old has spent spells on loan with Championship sides Wolves and Blackpool in the past two seasons, and he is not looking likely to burst through on to the Reds first-team setup any time soon.
An intelligent defensive option with a penchant for attacking bursts, Robinson would provide the perfect option to plug Brighton's defensive gaps this season.
Jordan Rossiter (Centre-Midfield)
It remains debatable whether, despite the signing of Teixeira, Brighton's midfield options are strong enough
Either way, introduced against Birmingham City on Saturday, the Portuguese midfielder was utilised as a wide player.
Another option who would add competition and quality to the Seagulls midfield would be 17-year-old Liverpool academy product Jordan Rossiter.
Rossiter is a battling central midfielder with a technical sheen, who is highly regarded on Merseyside.
So much so that the youngster was named on first-team manager Brendan Rodgers' substitutes' bench on two occasions last season.
Former Reds U21s boss Alex Inglethorpe told the Liverpool Echo of his admiration for the midfielder, claiming "He’s getting better all the time. He’s a pleasure to work with and is someone who dedicates himself and works ever so hard."
A raw talent with enormous potential, this dedication would lend Rossiter well to the rigours of the Championship.
Land Rossiter this summer and Hyypia may have secured a true gem, ready to be polished.
Samed Yesil (Striker)
Despite the encouraging return of Craig Mackail-Smith and the promising debut of Chris O'Grady, it is abundantly clear that Brighton are short of clinical strike options.
Waiting in the Reds' reserve wings is a player with great potential in this area: former Bayer Leverkusen forward Samed Yesil.
Hyypia handed the Turkish-born striker his Bundesliga debut, and he could look to renew this relationship in the Championship this season.
Yesil shot to stardom following a return of six goals and five assists in seven games at the 2011 U17 World Cup for Germany.
Unfortunately, the 20-year-old has suffered a succession of serious, anterior cruciate ligament injuries, and there is precedent for a depreciation in quality following such a lay-off; However, Yesil has youth on his side, and he could still bite back.
In a 2011 interview (h/t LiverpoolFC.com), Yesil described himself as perfect for the physical English game:
I get stuck in where it hurts because I want to score goals. It doesn't matter if I get kicked or fouled. The important thing is I score. My aim is to score in every match.
It may be a considerable risk, given Yesil's injury history, but signing the German youth international would provide the Seagulls with a devastating finisher with a hunger to succeed.
Which other Liverpool players could Brighton look to sign this summer? Let us know in the comments below.