Five Championship players that would immediately improve Brighton's starting XI this January

Why does Potter need to strengthen?

Since arriving in the top flight, Brighton tend to begin campaigns well, and owe their current Premier League status to strong starts.

In each of their last three years in the division, the Seagulls have acquired over a third of their total points for the season in the first 11 games (38% in 2017/18, 39% in 2018/19 and 37% in 2019/20), before enduring poor runs of form and entering a relegation battle.

After Monday’s disappointing and controversial loss to Southampton, Brighton sit 16th in the table on just 10 points, marking their worst start to a season since their induction into the Premier League.

Brighton would finish on a mere 27 points if their current points tally contributed to 37% of their total as it did last year. Whilst this is an unlikely eventuality, the club should be aware of their annual dip in form and use the January transfer window to recruit reinforcements.

Why the Championship?

As newcomers to the league under Chris Hughton, Brighton spent the majority of their budget on overseas players, presumably to avoid overspending on established Premier League players.

With the exception of Yves Bissouma, who has become a first team regular in Potter’s side, all of Hughton’s signings over £10 million have proved somewhat fruitless: Jürgen Locadia (£15.30m), José Izquierdo (£13.50m), Davy Pröpper (£11.7m) and Alireza Jahanbakhsh (£17.10m) have all struggled to pay back their price tags.

Since then, Potter has primarily opted for players with experience in English football, by either scouting talent from lower divisions or swooping for Premier League veterans short on game time, such as Danny Welbeck and Adam Lallana.

Former Brentford striker Neal Maupay and Bristol City defender Adam Webster both made the step up from the Championship last year and have since become key players for Brighton.

Whilst Championship players are not quite as low-priced as they once used to be, Potter should continue to raid the lower leagues in search of affordable reinforcements.

Which players in particular should be on Potter’s radar?

Despite their wavering form, Brighton have looked confident on the ball and played attractive football at times this season.

To use Monday’s loss to Southampton as the most recent example, Albion had a total of 12 shots and 2 clear-cut chances – and only managed to score the penalty, courtesy of Pascal Gross.

Brighton would benefit from another striker to bolster their attack, particularly one capable of getting in behind the back line and stretching the defence.

Aaron Connolly’s forward runs against Liverpool and Southampton have added another dimension to Potter’s attack in recent weeks, but perhaps the manager needs someone more clinical in terms of converting big chances.

Adam Armstrong (Blackburn) and Ivan Toney (Brentford) are currently leading the Championship’s golden boot race and would be ideal targets for Potter, but their respective asking prices would likely be out of Brighton’s budget.

Newcastle have already declared their interest in Armstrong at a fee of £30 million, and Toney has been linked with possible moves to Celtic or Everton in January.

Therefore, considering Brighton’s estimated price range, Potter could instead target Tyrese Campbell from Stoke City - son of former Arsenal and Everton striker Kevin Campbell.

The 20-year-old’s form has helped Stoke build the foundation for a promotion push this campaign, with 6 goals and 5 assists in 17 games.

Whilst certainly not the finished article yet, Campbell’s arrival at the Amex would add pace and dynamism to the Brighton front line and create competition for places – something Potter favours with his forward players in particular.

Unfortunately, the forward limped off in Stoke’s midweek clash with Cardiff, so Brighton must monitor his injury status prior to the transfer window, if they do decide to approach him.

Another smart transfer target from the Championship would be Étienne Capoue, who played a pivotal role at the heart of midfield for Watford during their stint in the Premier League.

At the moment, Potter feels compelled to name recognised defender Ben White alongside Yves Bissouma to solidify the base of midfield, which suggests a void in that position.

At 32 years of age, Capoue would bring added dressing room experience and would be eager to make a return to top-flight football sooner rather than later.

Alternatively, if Brighton are prepared to empty their pockets and invest in youth, the club may be tempted by Bristol City’s prospect Han-Noah Massengo.

The 19-year-old has previously attracted the attention of Arsenal and Chelsea, but Brighton could look to undercut the giants by luring him to the Amex with the promise of first team football.