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Brighton & Hove Albion: Seagulls interested in Mattie Pollock
Brighton are reportedly among several clubs targeting teenage Grimsby defender Mattie Pollock, who has been likened to England centre-back Harry Maguire.
The Daily Mail reported that the Seagulls, along with Sheffield United and Crystal Palace, have been scouting the 18-year-old, whose father Jamie played in the Premier League for Middlesbrough and Bolton in the 1990s. The report added that the Blundell Park outfit are ‘braced’ for offers for the youngster.
Pollock, who stands at a towering 1.9m (6 ft 3), has drawn comparisons with Manchester United defender Maguire for his robust frame, while the teenager has already been entrusted with significant responsibility at Grimsby.
He has played 29 times for the Mariners, featuring 19 times in League Two for them last season, and captained them at the tender age of 17, an indication as to his maturity and leadership qualities even in the formative years of his senior career.
The 18-year-old is impressively disciplined for a central defensive player – in almost 1,900 minutes of action for Grimsby, he has only been shown three yellow cards, although two of those came in the same match (as per TransferMarkt).
Pollock is still very raw and has played no higher than League Two, so a move to a Premier League club like Brighton would clearly be a significant step up for him. If he were to join the Seagulls in this transfer window, he would likely be viewed with the long-term in mind rather than the immediate future.
Indeed, he could be bedded in gently like Ben White at the Amex Stadium. The 22-year-old, who has played just twice for Brighton’s first team so far, gained valuable experience on loan at Leeds last term, impressing to such an extent that he has now had a £50m price tag placed on his head and each of last season’s Premier League top six reportedly vying for his signature.
Would Mattie Pollock be a good addition at Brighton?
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If the Seagulls can prise Pollock from Grimsby and offer him further first team experience with a loan move elsewhere, like they did for White, it could prove to be a very astute coup over the forthcoming years.
Brighton fans, can Pollock go on to reach the level that Maguire is at now? Comment below with your views!
