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Brighton Set To Beat Premier League Elite To French Wonderkid

Brighton Set To Beat Premier League Elite To French Wonderkid

Chris Hughton's side have impressed in the Premier League this season and will beat the likes of Spurs, Chelsea and Arsenal this summer.

Ryan Sidle

Ryan Sidle

There weren't many people who expected Brighton to get into the Premier League but now Chris Hughton's team look like they'll be staying there. Even more surprisingly they're set to beat some of the Premier League's big boys to a major transfer coup.

We'll never learn. Everytime a less fashionable and more unfancied side make it into the Premier League for the first time we all expect them to go straight back down, no questions.

Hughton's done a great job. Image: PA Images.
Hughton's done a great job. Image: PA Images.

The likes of Wigan, Portsmouth, Stoke and Charlton should have taught us a lesson by now. Sure they've mostly gone down now but they stayed in England's top tier longer than anyone expected in the first place.

Brighton are this season's team that no one expected to stay up but Chris Hughton has done an excellent job and the weekend's win over Arsenal put them seven points clear of the relegation zone and starting look safe.

Now Hughton is set to pull off a great transfer coup this summer. According to Foot Mercato the Seagulls are set to sign a pre-contract agreement with 18 year old Nantes defender Batista Mendy, beating interest from Spurs, Arsenal and Chelsea to his signing, whilst Real Madrid and Barcelona also had a look at him.

Made in Nantes but Mendy could soon be heading to England. Image: Nantes.
Made in Nantes but Mendy could soon be heading to England. Image: Nantes.

Speaking recently the club's training director Samuel Fenillat said of Mendy's contract situation, "It's been several months since the player and his entourage rejected the decision. We had set a deadline at the beginning of the week and this Tuesday, we still have no answer. He is not determined to sign pro at home. We wanted to project with him, it's a shame."

Mendy can play in defence or in central midfield and has played for France's youth teams but is yet to make his debut in Ligue 1 for the west France side.

Check out our XI of players born in France but played for other countries:

Speaking last Autumn the Frenchman revealed he wants to play in England, saying, "The Premier League is the competition that suits my style of play the most. I'm big and strong at making challenges."

Brighton seem to have won the race to sign him as they offer more chances of first team football.

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Topics: Football News, Premier League, Brighton