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Brighton & Hove Albion: Seagulls target Rico Henry is expected to leave Brentford
Brighton have been handed a potential boost in their reported transfer pursuit of Brentford left-back Rico Henry.
According to a report from Sussex Live, the defender is expected to leave the west London club in this transfer window after their defeat in the Championship play-off final last month.
Last week, The Sun reported that the Seagulls are considering a move for the 23-year-old, who is also wanted by Leeds and Aston Villa.
Henry was a key figure in the Brentford side that just missed out on promotion to the Premier League, starting in all 49 of their league matches last season and contributing three assists from left-back.
While showing that he can make an occasional contribution in the attacking third, the Birmingham native is also a sturdy, no-nonsence defender, with match averages of 1.9 successful headers, 1.9 clearances, 1.5 successful tackles and 1.1 interceptions in the 2019/20 campaign (as per WhoScored).
Graham Potter does not have an abundance of left-back options at Brighton, with Bernardo the only natural fit for that position in the current Seagulls squad. Indeed, for the majority of last season, central defender Dan Burn was deployed at left-back by the Albion manager, starting 24 league games in that role.
Notably, the former Wigan player did not contribute to any of Brighton’s goals last term. However, his qualities as a rugged defender were evident in his averages of 4.1 successful headers, 3.9 clearances and two successful tackles per game (as per WhoScored).
With reports indicating that Henry is expected to leave Brentford, Brighton’s prospects of signing him may have been given a boost if the Bees are resigned to losing him in the next few weeks. It should come as a significant boon for Potter if he can bring him to the Amex Stadium and duly become less reliant on playing Burn out of position at left-back.
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The burning question then becomes whether they can see off Leeds and Aston Villa to his signature, along with the amount that Brentford will demand for his sale and whether that is a fee that the Seagulls can justify paying.
Brighton fans, do you think Henry would be a quality addition to Potter’s defensive options? Give us your views in the comments section below!
