Brighton in talks to sign former TSG 1899 Hoffenheim midfielder Florian Grillitsch
By Andrew Thompson Published: July 21, 2022 5:41 pmLast Updated: July 21, 2022 11:07 pm Graham Potter’s Brighton could no longer hold on to key midfielder Yves Bissouma this summer after the Malian headed north to the capital in a move to Antonio Conte’s Tottenham project, but the Seagulls could move smartly as they have begun talks over a potential deal for Austrian international Florian Grillitsch. Reports from The Telegraph’s Mike McGrath have confirmed that Brighton are looking to steal a march over some big names across Europe for the services of the 26-year-old versatile midfielder after his contract ran down after the 2021-22 Bundesliga campaign. Grillitsch was a key performer during his spells with both Werder Bremen and TSG 1899 Hoffenheim after arriving in Germany in 2013 from Austrian outfit SKN St. Pölten. Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal were one of a cadre of big clubs said to hold concrete interest in Grillitsch, but Potter’s Brighton could have a transfer coup on their hands and a versatile replacement for Bissouma as the Seagulls continue to shop smartly from summer to summer. Capable of being deployed in five different positions, Grillitsch has earned 33-caps for his country and his tactical versatility combined with his technical quality and powerful engine made him one of the standout performers in Sinsheim over the last five seasons. Additionally, Grillitsch has seen considerable time in systems that both utilized a back four and a back three deployment with various different tasking in midfield as well as center-back. As Brighton look to build on a very successful 2021-22 Premier League campaign that saw them finish ninth in the table, Grillitsch would add key ingredients that could help Potter continue to build his reputation in England. For more on Brighton, read below Man City push for Brighton left-back Marc