Simon Adingra made 40 appearances for Brighton & Hove Albion last season, scoring seven goals and contributing a further three assists.
The 20-year-old didn’t always start matches but was certainly a much used player for Roberto De Zerbi and showed he could play in a variety of roles for the Seagulls.
Given De Zerbi’s Brighton exit and subsequent move to Marseille, and the French club being on the hunt for an attacker, Adingra has been the subject of links with the Ligue 1 side.
There’s been no claim over what Marseille would be willing to pay for the player, or even what Brighton would ask for. That hasn’t stopped it becoming a big story in Ivory Coast, where several well known former footballers have been asked about the potential transfer.
Monday’s edition of Fraternité Matin quote Roger Bola as saying: “We know he has a lot of qualities. But in Marseille, it is not enough just to have qualities. All the players who go to this club necessarily have qualities but you also need a strong mind, to have very broad shoulders to withstand all the pressure that is often put on the players at this club.
“As Aubameyang did… I don’t know if the young Ivorian striker has these qualities. The best thing would have been for him to stay at Brighton and win to get out afterwards.”
Eric Babou added: “I would like a better destination, a team at the top of the table in England, for me that would be ideal. If he has no offer other than that of Marseille, I think he should try this challenge. Especially since he will be looked after, protected by his coach. In terms of visibility and a springboard, the challenge can be interesting.”
There seems to be a belief in Ivory Coast that Brighton are ready to accept an exit and it’s just a matter of Simon Adingra deciding where he’ll be playing football next season. That may well be wide of the mark.
