Brighton winger Kaoru Mitoma is close to signing a new contract at the club.
According to TEAMTalk, a deal for Mitoma to extend his stay on the south coast is close to being finalised.
The Japanese international’s current deal expires in 2025, and he has a host of admirers, with the likes of Manchester City and Arsenal being linked in the past.
The Manchester City links picked up again recently after the departure of Riyad Mahrez to Al Ahli, with the Citizens believed to be looking for a replacement.
How important will it be for Brighton if Kaoru Mitoma does sign a new contract?
Mitoma joined Brighton in August 2021 from Kawasaki Frontale in his homeland, before almost immediately being loaned out to Belgium to joined Brighton’s affiliate club Union Saint-Gilloise, who are also owned by Brighton owner Tony Bloom.
After returning to the AMEX, his performances for the Seagulls caught the eye, with the 26-year-old scoring ten goals in 41 appearances in all competitions last season.
Brighton are known to be a selling club, but with the club playing in the Europa League this season, they will want to keep some of their key assets as they will need plenty of depth heading into this jam-packed campaign.
They have already lost plenty of players so far this summer, with the likes of Moises Caicedo, Alexis MacAllister and Robert Sanches all departing in the last three months.
This makes it ever so important that Brighton now keep the best players they have left before their squad is left too bare. They do still have plenty of players that could excite, however, like Simon Adingra, who recently came back from a successful loan at Union Saint-Gilloise. Could he be the next Mitoma?