According to a report by Graeme Bailey on TBR Football, Brighton & Hove Albion are set to win the race for free agent Olivier Boscagli. The French defender was on the radar of Liverpool and Tottenham ahead of the summer, and he has seemingly chosen the Seagulls as his new club once he leaves PSV Eindhoven.
Olivier Boscagli may have had offers last summer to leave PSV Eindhoven, with Brighton & Hove Albion one of those angling a move back then. It. might have been the demands from the Dutch side that scuppered any move, as their decision to keep him has been vindicated by the fact that the 27-year-old productive Eredivisie defender was one of their top performers in a title-winning season.
While PSV could have got a decent chunk of money to sell him last summer, they are on course to let the French defender leave for free as his contract is on the verge of expiry. Once again, Brighton are in the mix for a centre-back, with the club now going back for Boscagli ahead of a free transfer.
Brighton have seemingly got their man ahead of Premier League rivals like Liverpool and Tottenham, with the duo also looking for a new defender. Boscagli’s profile as a left-footed centre-back is something Brighton lack, with Igor Julio the only one in their team of a similar ilk. The Brazilian has been injury-prone since the time he joined the Premier League club, while the Frenchman has been a reliable presence for PSV.
The Bosman move for the defender will be seen as another major coup for the Seagulls who have a solid history of getting some brilliant deals over the line. Liverpool and Tottenham were the ones keen, as they have been looking for a left-footed centre-back to their ranks, and his availability on a free transfer is one of the major reasons for their pursuit.
Both the Premier League giants are in the market for a new central defender for a variety of reasons. They both are interested in Marc Guehi, who is expected to leave Crystal Palace, while there are other names commonly linked with the dup. Spurs are managing Micky van de Ven, but his injury issues over the last two years may have made them think about a player like Boscagli.
Meanwhile, Liverpool wanted Dean Huijsen before he agreed to join Real Madrid from Bournemouth. There are some concerns in their backline. For instance, Joe Gomez could leave while Jarell Quansal is also attracting big interest, so Arne Slot might have considered bringing in Boscagli in a low-cost deal for the club.
