Brighton are eyeing a 'dream' summer deal for one highly-rated player who Bayern Munich want as an alternative to Luis Diaz, according to Sky Germany.
Fabian Hürzeler under pressure after torrid Brighton run
Hurzeler faces mounting pressure after Saturday's 3-0 FA Cup defeat to Liverpool left his struggling side with just two victories from their last 15 matches across all competitions.
The Seagulls crashed out of the cup at Anfield, losing their only remaining route to silverware this season following a dismal Premier League campaign that's seen them collect merely one win from 12 league games.
Brighton & Hove Albion manager Fabian Hurzeler
Brighton & Hove Albion manager Fabian Hurzeler
Saturday's elimination leaves Brighton with nothing but survival to play for during the season's final stretch.
Former Man United chief scout Mick Brown told Football Insider today that growing supporter fury could force the club's hand, particularly after last weekend's 1-0 home defeat to Crystal Palace in the derby.
Oliver Glasner's Eagles secured their first victory in 14 attempts at the Amex Stadium, enraging fans who watched Brighton slump to 14th.
There aren't believed to be immediate plans for sacking the 32-year-old German, but sources suggest Brighton could make changes at season's end. The club previously showed they'll pull the trigger on underperforming bosses, having let Roberto De Zerbi finish his final campaign before departing.
roberto-de-zerbi-brighton-manager-tottenham-hotspur-academy-jamie-donley-evan-ferguson
roberto-de-zerbi-brighton-manager-tottenham-hotspur-academy-jamie-donley-evan-ferguson
Hurzeler admitted Liverpool's clinical finishing decided Saturday's cup tie. Curtis Jones opened the scoring before half-time, followed by Dominik Szoboszlai's strike and Mohamed Salah's controversial penalty.
The Brighton boss fumed about the spot-kick decision involving Pascal Gross, calling it a poor decision and insisting it's never ever a penalty.
Despite creating chances through Jack Hinshelwood and Diego Gomez, Brighton failed to convert opportunities whilst Liverpool punished every mistake. Hurzeler acknowledged the pattern plaguing his team.
"We had two big chances in the first half, and we didn't use them. Liverpool were more effective," he said.
"That was the difference, they used their moments, and we didn't."
The 32-year-old insists he'll take responsibility and remain calm. However, Brighton supporters are growing impatient watching their side fail to create genuine goalscoring chances week after week.
Rumoured potential replacements, including Ipswich boss Kieran McKenna, Kjetil Knutsen, Bo Svensson and Edin Terzić are reportedly already on Brighton's shortlist should fan anger force decisive action before summer arrives.
In terms of the summer window, Brighton could be active when it comes to transfers, and they have their eyes firmly on FC Koln's star player Said El Mala.
Brighton eye 'dream' summer deal for Said El Mala
That is according to Sky Germany's Florian Plettenberg, who wrote on X today (formerly Twitter) that El Mala is a 'dream' summer signing for Brighton.
Said El Mala for Koln
The south coast side apparently had an offer rejected for the 'shooting star' winger last month, but they're poised to move again this summer, despite Bundesliga giants Bayern eyeing him as a back-up to Diaz themselves.
The 19-year-old German sensation has been a shining light for an otherwise dismal Koln team, having racked up seven goals and three assists in all competitions this campaign.
El Mala starred at the Under-19 Euros last year as well, finishing the tournament as Germany's top scorer, with the teenager trying to plead his case to Julian Nagelsmann for a senior World Cup nod this year.
El Mala has attracted interest from the likes of Tottenham and PSG too, so Brighton could face a major battle for his signature.