‘I still regret not signing Kaoru Mitoma to Liverpool – I should have insisted’ | Football | Sport

Alexis Mac Allister received a warm welcome when he returned to his old stomping ground, Brighton & Hove Albion, on Wednesday night. The Argentina national team player came on as a substitute in the 64th minute of the match. Liverpoola thrilling 3-2 win in the League Cup at the Amex Stadium.

The midweek meeting marked the world champion’s third meeting with the Seagulls since his £35m move to the Reds in the summer of 2023.

Despite being responsible for Brighton’s opening goal in a 2-2 draw on the South Coast last October, Mac Allister later assisted Mohamed Salahwinning goal in Liverpoola 2-1 triumph at Anfield in March.

He won’t have to wait long before he faces his former club again. Liverpool set to host Brighton at Anfield in their next match Premier League match on Saturday. The 25-year-old is expected to return Arne SlotStarting line-up.

However, although Mac Allister is the only former Seagull in LiverpoolThings could have turned out differently within the team, as several of his former colleagues were previously on the team. Liverpooltransfer list.

Liverpool He famously passed up the opportunity to sign Moises Caicedo last summer despite securing a whopping £111m deal from Brighton. The Ecuadorian national team player resisted and forced him to move to Chelsea instead of.

Dr Ian Graham, Anfield’s former director of research, has expressed his respect for Brighton’s transfer strategy, admitting he is a fan of their signings.

In his latest book, he reveals the essence of the behind-the-scenes dialogue: “In Liverpool we admired the signings of both Brentford and Brighton, although we never told them about it,” described in the book “How to Win Premier League: The inside story of football’s data revolution. ‘.

Shedding light on the search process, Graham writes: “My colleague Daf Steele and I kept lists of players who looked outstanding in their domestic leagues but were either not good enough for the Liverpool or played in a style that didn’t suit us.”

Continuing to give specific examples, he notes: “Brighton also signed players who were on our radar. Pascal Gross performed above average.” Premier League level, playing in the second division of the Bundesliga, and has been playing at this level for Brighton for many years. Enoch Mwepu was the best young midfielder in Austria.”

Continuing to admire his colleagues, Graham admits: “Mark Cucurella was easy Premier League level player while playing in Spain, and when Chelsea paid a barely credible £62 million for him, Brighton immediately replaced him with the only young defender in Spain with the same rating, Pervis Estupinan.”

Despite acknowledging Brighton’s astute moves in the market, Graham reveals some omissions, particularly one shining star: Kaoru Mitoma is a gem that slipped through the cracks, leaving Graham with much to be desired. Liverpool put him higher on their list.

“Kaoru Mitoma was the best rated player in Japan Premier League “Average average,” he wrote. “We have very rarely rated a Japanese player even close to Premier League level.

“It is still a regret for me that I did not insist that Mitoma be more seriously considered as a potential player. Liverpool signing”.

Mitoma moved from Japanese side Kawasaki Frontale to Brighton in August 2021 and was immediately loaned to Belgian club Union SG for the season.

Upon his return to the Amex Stadium the following summer, Mitoma impressively scored 14 goals and provided 15 assists in 77 appearances for the Seagulls, including an impressive last-gasp win over the Seagulls. Liverpool in the FA Cup in January 2023.

With Wednesday’s League Cup defeat his only defeat in five meetings with the Reds, Mitoma has consistently proven he can pose a threat to the side. Liverpool.

However, despite Graham’s regrets about not pushing for Mitoma’s move to Anfield, it remains debatable whether Liverpool would harbor the same regrets given their wealth of talent on the left flank at the time.

When Mitomu bought Brighton in August 2021, Liverpool considered Sadio Mane his best choice for the left winger position. They also had Diogo Jota, Takumi Minamino and Divock Origi as strikers, and by January the following year they had acquired Luis Diaz from Porto for £49 million, a player already established at the top level and with Champions League experience.

Although the former trio may have already left Anfield by the time Mitoma returned to Brighton after a successful loan spell in Belgium, Liverpool then signed Darwin Nunez from Benfica for a record £75m to bolster their attack.

Cody Gakpo was later signed from PSV Eindhoven the following January in a deal worth up to £45 million, with the Japanese international making a splash in his debut season in England.

Liverpool He has since also hired Federico Chiesa from Juventus for an initial £10 million. Although the Italian’s Anfield career has been hampered by injury so far, the club’s chiefs will no doubt be more than happy with their attacking options and transfer decisions despite Mitoma’s injury. Premier League success with Brighton.