Brighton chief executive Paul Barber has admitted the club are always prepared for other clubs spending big on their players, amid reported interest in Alexis Mac Allister.
The Seagulls have recouped significant funds since coming up to the Premier League, and have often been able to replace those snapped up by their big-spending rivals. Yves Bissouma, Leandro Trossard and Marc Cucurella are among those to have left in the last 12 months, with the likes of Kaoru Mitoma and Moises Caicedo - both already on the club's books - stepping up.
Mac Allister is another man who has filled a gap, joining in 2019 and growing into an important first team player under Graham Potter and then Roberto De Zerbi. If the Argentina star leaves, though, it appears the Seagulls have a plan.
"There are always going to be rumours when we do well and our people do well," Barber told Sky Sports. "There will always be bigger clubs playing at a higher level, looking to take our best people.
"All we can do is perform at our highest potential and we are confident we can keep our best people here for as long as possible. Nothing is guaranteed in football but we will certainly work hard to keep them here.
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"We know it will happen [teams coming in for players] so we have to prepare the best we can in advance. We try to look at where we are possibly most vulnerable for outgoings. We try to create the best environment we can for our players. so they want to stay here. Hopefully they will see that staying here is better for their careers than not."
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"Every club is a selling club to some extent. Even the biggest clubs get tempted by huge offers," Barber continued. "Our challenge, when we lose players, is to have players already in the door or to have some coming in immediately after them. We will continue recruiting as we have done and keep building for the future."
Mac Allister's new deal, signed before the World Cup, means any bidder would need to part with a significant sum. A move to Liverpool has reportedly been the subject of conversation among Brighton's players, as the Reds consider alternatives after dropping out of the race for Jude Bellingham.
Caicedo could also find himself on the move, despite himself signing a new deal midway through the season. Arsenal were keen on the midfielder, who has become even more important to Brighton since Bissouma's departure for Tottenham.
Earlier in the season, Mac Allister's father Carlos told Puro Boca he felt a summer move was likely. "Normally the next [transfer window] will find him playing in another institution, we don't know which one," he said. "The talks are just beginning in general, but it is most likely that Alexis will already be playing in another team next July."
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