Brighton are reportedly keeping a close eye on Rico Lewis’ situation at Manchester City.
The versatile defender signed a long-term contract extension at the Etihad Stadium last year, but he has since struggled for minutes under Pep Guardiola.
Injuries, poor form and the emergence of Nico O’Reilly has led to Lewis making just 10 appearances in the Premier League so far this season, starting only three matches – and the City academy graduate is now considering a summer switch as a result.
According to TEAMtalk, the 21-year-old is weighing up whether to push for an exit over the coming months in the hope of joining a side where he is guaranteed improved game time.
Lewis has made five appearances for England in his career, but he is growing fearful that remaining as a fringe player at City will dent his hopes of playing regular international football.
Brighton are one of seven teams ‘closely monitoring’ the situation, along with Brentford, Crystal Palace, Everton and Fulham. Fierce rivals Newcastle and Sunderland are cited as being particularly keen to acquire his services.
City are said to be aware of Lewis’ growing frustrations and will therefore facilitate his exit if the youngster decides that a move away from his boyhood club would be the best next step in his career.
With Joel Veltman heading into the final few months of his contract with Brighton, the Seagulls are likely to be in the market for a right-back this summer. However, Lewis is said to be keen to showcase his versatility in the future, confident that he is capable of making his mark in midfield too.
The defender’s decision to head elsewhere would be a major U-turn on his previous show of faith in City last year, when he put pen to paper on a bumper new deal and insisted that he could not envision leaving the club.
At that time, he said: “For me, I’ve never, ever seen myself at a different club. I’ve always wanted to play for City. It’s my dream club, and like you see today, when I’m playing with the kind of players that I’m playing with, it brings out the best in me, so I’m so happy.”