By Pranav Shahaney

28th Nov, 2022 | 8:14pm

Brighton open talks with Molde to sign striker David Datro Fofana - Fabrizio Romano

Brighton have reportedly opened talks with Molde to sign their teenage striker David Datro Fofana who has enjoyed a goal-laden year.

According to Sky Sports journalist Fabrizio Romano, the Seagulls are keen on adding the striker to their ranks as they look to build under new manager Roberto De Zerbi.

It’s understood that the Norwegian side are looking for a fee in the region of £8.65million to secure the 19-year-old’s services.

Romano wrote on Twitter, “Excl: Brighton have opened talks with Molde to sign Ivorian talented striker David Datro Fofana. Negotiations are ongoing, deal not easy as many clubs are tracking him.

“Understand Molde want more than €10m to sell Fofana, who has 21 total goals this year – he’s 19.”

Good scouting network

Brighton somehow manage to find gems that are still to be unearthed by the top teams.

However, for Fofana, it seems like there are a number of sides keen on signing him but if they’ve opened talks it means that they’re keen on beating their competitors quickly.

It’ll be interesting to see if this ends up transpiring into a transfer saga because it does often happen for wonderkids as their agents start offering them to multiple clubs.

If he wants a move to a Premier League side and get regular minutes, we think Brighton would be ideal for him.

They have a very good structure that sees young players thrive and reach their potential more often than not.

The price may be steep for someone that age but if they see his resale value, it could prove to be a bargain and risk worth taking and it remains to be seen if they sign him in January or wait until the summer.

In other news, Billy Gilmour is ready to leave Brighton on a loan for a European club.