Potter says Brighton striker is important to his plans amid Everton rumours
Brighton manager Graham Potter has insisted that Neal Maupay is important to the club, as Everton continue to circle.
Rafa Benitez is looking to bring attacking reinforcements to Goodison Park before the transfer window closes. And according to Sky Sports, 25-year-old Maupay is on his wish list. It’s thought that the Toffees could submit an official bid once they can get a number of unwanted players off their books.
Maupay has been in good form recently, scoring a goal in each of Brighton’s first two league games. He netted the equaliser against Burnley on the opening day, before scoring the Seagulls’ second goal in a 2-0 win over Watford.
When asked about the Frenchman, Potter told reporters: “He’s been important since he’s been here.
“It tells you by the amount of games he’s played for us, the amount of time he’s been on the pitch.
“He’s a player that’s developing all the time. He’s not perfect, but he has a lot of really good attributes and qualities that the team appreciates.
“We’re pleased for him that he scored two goals in his first two games. There’s a lot of work which goes on outside that which is important for us as a team.
“We’re pleased with the start he’s had and hopefully he can continue.”
Maupay joined Brighton from Brentford in 2019 for £20million. The Seagulls would want to recoup all of that fee, plus extra, if Everton came calling.
Potter was also asked about the possibility of new players coming in before Tuesday’s deadline.
He said: “I wouldn’t say necessarily hopeful.
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“I understand how the window works. I’m really happy where the group is at and the players coming back.
“Danny (Welbeck) is coming back, Tariq (Lamptey) is coming back, Joel Veltman is coming back, Dan Burn I think as well.
“We’ve got competition and we’ve got good numbers. We just have to continue to look because we know when the window is open anything can happen. We’ll see what we can do.”
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Another rumoured target for Everton was Argentina international Joaquin Correa.
However, the Merseyside outfit have lost out to Inter Milan in the transfer race.
Correa has joined Simone Inzaghi’s side on an initial loan with the obligation to buy next summer. The deal is rumoured to be worth €31million.
The 27-year-old notched 11 goals in all competitions last term, including three in the Champions League.
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