Brighton want Euros winner to make them attractivepublished at 09:19 5 July
Simon Stone
Chief football news reporter
Image source, Getty ImagesBrighton technical director David Weir is hoping further major tournament success for the club's players will help showcase them as a destination for young players.
The Seagulls have been outstanding in their recruitment over the past few years.
Alexis Mac Allister's World Cup win with Argentina provided a major boost in showing Brighton could be a pathway to success for players all over the world, some of whom might not have heard of the Premier League club.
Mac Allister might have moved on but Brighton could still find itself with a major tournament winner among their squad this summer.
England's Lewis Dunk and Germany's Pascal Gross might not be pivotal figures, but they could be part of a winning team, while 21-year-old Bart Verbruggen has become the Netherlands goalkeeper just 12 months after joining Brighton from Anderlecht for £16.3m.
"Identifying players is relatively easy," said Weir. "The hard part is bringing them to your club.
"What we can offer - and what we have shown - is that we are a club that gives young players opportunities. For the right players and agents, that is really important and really powerful.
"Alexis (Mac Allister) was a loan player, who took his time to adapt to the club, rapidly progressed and moved on. Simon Adingra won Afcon [Africa Cup of Nations].
"Hopefully, we will have a player who wins the Euros – but I won’t say which country. That would be a great message for everyone."
