Williams set to fly the nest
MANCHESTER UNITED leftback Brandon Williams is wanted by Brighton in a £15million deal.
Seagulls boss Graham Potter has identified the 21-year-old youngster as the ideal replacement for Marc Cucurella, with Manchester City pressing to sign the Spanish defender.
Despite so far failing to match Brighton’s minimum £50m valuation for Cucurella, it’s understood Potter accepts it is likely the Premier League champions will ultimately bag the 24-year-old Spaniard.
City boss Pep Guardiola allowed Oleksandr Zinchenko to join Arsenal last week for £32m and has targeted Cucurella as the priority signing for left-back.
Guardiola had Cucurella scouted several times last season and reckons the attack-minded star perfectly suits their style of play.
Cucurella, who was signed for £15m from La Liga side Getafe last summer, is only one year into a five-year deal and Potter is reluctant to let him leave so quickly.
Improve
But the economic landscape means Brighton will let him leave – however, they have told City they must significantly improve on their opening £30m bid.
Williams, who spent last season on loan at relegated Norwich, is highly regarded at Old Trafford after coming through the youth system.
In his breakthrough season in 2019-20 he played 36 games and followed that with 14 games the following season, including a debut in the Champions League.
The arrival of £14.7m Tyrell Malacia from Feyenoord has dented Williams’ hopes of regular game-time, with the Dutch ace, 22, impressing players and staff alike in his first weeks at the club.
Malacia is expected to battle Luke Shaw for the leftback slot leaving Williams on the fringe and open to a move to ambitious Brighton.
It’s believed contact has been made between the two clubs – but Brighton are awaiting developments with Cucurella before actively pursuing Williams.