Brian Horton has suggested that Brighton & Hove Albion's star players may not follow Dan Burn to Newcastle United following technical director Dan Ashworth's departure.
The Seagulls announced that the FA's former director of elite development was stepping down from his position as he is set to take a similar role at 'another Premier League club'.
It has been reported that Ashworth is set to take over at Newcastle after the £305million takeover and given the 'project' that the Magpies are building at the minute.
Chris Wood, Kieran Trippier, Bruno Guimaraes, Matt Targett and Burn all joined the Tyneside outfit in the January transfer window, but they have been searching for a new director of football ever since the new owners came in.
For the latest Newcastle news direct to your inbox, go here to sign up to our free newsletter
Brighton chairman Tony Bloom said he was "extremely disappointed" that Ashworth was leaving the club but thanked him for the "outstanding" work he had done since joining the Sussex side in February 2019.
After Burn made the switch to his boyhood club, there has been some speculation that Ashworth could try to sign more Brighton stars in the summer.
Yves Bissouma, Adam Webster and Tariq Lamptey were linked with a switch to Newcastle last month but all chose to stay put at the AMEX Stadium.
However, former Brighton manager and player Brian Horton has suggested that this is unlikely to happen, even though the Burn transfer was something of a shock.
"Dan Burn going to Newcastle was a surprise to everybody but at the end of the day it was good money for a 29-year-old," he told Sussex Live.
"It was a good move for the boy. It is extraordinary money for him, in my opinion, as they got him for a few million.
"If they have got players whose contracts are expiring this year or next year, they [Brighton] will know what they are doing.
"It is one of those things that happen in football. There is a lot of talk about Yves Bissouma but until someone makes an actual bid it is just talk."
