Chelsea's transfer interest in Brighton and Belgium forward Leandro Trossard comes as no surprise. Todd Boehly has successfully poached talent from their Premier League rivals since his takeover at the club with a record £22million paid to replace Thomas Tuchel with Graham Potter.
Defender Marc Cucurella joined the Blues in the summer prior to Potter's arrival for a fee in excess of £60m. The Seagulls have become renowned for buying unknown talent for a low fee and developing them into multi-million pound assets.
One player who summarises Brighton's transfer strategy perfectly is attacker Trossard. The Belgian was signed for only £15million in 2019 from Genk in Potter's first season and has developed over time. Since his move to the Premier League, Trossard has slowly progressed as one of the league's most under-rated stars after impressing under Potter.
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This season, the 28-year-old has netted seven goals and assisted a further three as Brighton have continued to impress. Trossard's form has attracted interest from Chelsea, with Potter's men having struggled for consistency in the final third.
Previously, the forward admitted that he would follow former boss Potter to west London "if the opportunity arises". However, after seeing a nosedive in his form post-World Cup, Boehly has been handed a possible reason to avoid the transfer in the future.
Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi has recently urged Trossard, whose deal at the AMEX Stadium expires in 2024, to show 100 per cent commitment if he wants to earn his place in the starting XI. Asked whether speculation over his future was affecting his performances, De Zerbi said: "I don't know. I think he's one of the best players for us and one of the most important players for us.
“I’d like to always play with Leo in the first XI, but it doesn’t depend only on me, it depends on Leo," De Zerbi told The Athletic.
“I don’t know, but with me I want players that work for the team on the pitch and Leandro knows very well my opinion, my idea. I’ve spoken a lot of times with him.
“I like him as a player, but I want more from him, because he can play better, he can work harder, he can run more on the pitch and I want players who give 100 per cent in every training session and every game.
“Without these characteristics, then they can’t play with me.”
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