Adam Lallana to Brighton close to done – Strange destination for the Englishman
Lallana is reportedly on the verge of making a shock switch to the South Coast of England.
Adam Lallana becomes a free agent at the end of the season after Liverpool’s trip to St. James’ Park for the finale of the 2019-2020 season. As per reports, the player will stay and ply his trade in England. But the team in mention is a shock, to say the least.
From multiple links pointing in the direction of a move to the King Power Stadium, a return to former club, Southampton, and even links to Merseyside rivals, Everton, he chooses Brighton as his home fo the next three years.
"Adam Lallana has reportedly agreed a three-year deal with Brighton, bringing an end to his six years on Merseyside.Everton were thought to be leading the chance for his signature last week, with Burnley and Leicester also keen on the free transfer.But in the end, Lallana will move back to the south coast, with the Athletic journalists James Pearce and Andy Naylor reporting that the 32-year-old has agreed a three-year deal with Brighton."
The player will join as a free agent on a “Bosman-style free transfer” if/when he becomes a Seagull. The deal does come as a shock as he had a handful of clubs to pick from. So why make the changeover from North West all the way to South Coast? What was so much more compelling for him?
A leader’s role for Adam
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Further stated in the reports by the Independent, Lallana has been offered a significant and leading role at the club. The club’s technical director, Dan Ashworth is said to be the driving force in the deal, understanding the influence and technical ability the former Southampton captain has in his locker.
"Technical director Dan Ashworth has been a key driver of their interest, registered since the turn of the year, having experienced the 32-year-old’s intelligence and influence on the pitch and off it for England. (Via: independent.co.uk)"
After parting ways with the previous manager Chris Hughton, Brighton took on Graham Potter and stated adopting a style similar to that of current champions Liverpool and previous winners, Manchester City.
With this in mind, the move actually makes all the sense in the world and becomes less unusual. The project under Potter is only a season old and bringing the 32-year-old will not only add loads of experience but also add a leader capable of bringing out the best in young players coming through the ranks at Brighton.
Let’s not forget, Lallana was a key figure in the rise of Liverpool after the arrival of Jurgen Klopp. Not the best squad to work with and always overachieving because of a monster mentality. Adam was a big part of this even if he wasn’t the captain of Liverpool. The player has always been recognised as a prominent and influential personality to have in the team dressing room.
Lallana most likely will not feature
It was a sad sight to see him in near tears on the bench at Anfield when Liverpool and Chelsea entertained with an eight-goal fest and he couldn’t be a part of it, the last game at home for the season. However, it was for good reason. The player hasn’t featured in the restart for the Reds at all.
This was a safety precaution by the club and Klopp to keep the player out of any danger from a possible injury. This was enough evidence to clarify his current situation and let us know he will be departing.
Brighton has been interested in Adam Lallana since the turn of the year, giving the impression this deal could have been on the cards for quite some time.
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Hopefully, his bad luck with injuries is behind him and he gets a healthy and fruitful fresh start at his new club. Be it Brighton or wherever he decides on after his last Liverpool outing.