This is how Dan Ashworth will adapt Brighton's recruitment strategy amid coronavirus uncertainty

Even at Premier League level, football finances have taken a major hit due to coronavirus and it's difficult to envisage clubs such as Brighton spending huge amounts in the upcoming transfer window.

Many teams across the globe will adjust their transfer strategies but Ashworth feels enormous potential still remains in Graham Potter's existing first team squad.

The likes of Neal Maupay, Adam Webster, Leo Trossard and Alexis Mac Allister have had a chance to adapt to life in the Premier League and the hope is their contributions will be even greater next campaign.

Defender Ben White will also be available next season after his impressive loan spell at Leeds.

The former FA director of elite development normally works to two transfer strategies. The first is that Brighton maintain their Premier League status, a second is for relegation but this time coronavirus has added third - one that's impossible to plan for but one Ashworth is rapidly adapting to.

"If we go to best case scenario," said Ashworth. "We finish this season and we are able to receive all the TV money we were expecting to receive, and we play our remaining five fixtures at home in front of a full stadium.

"In that case there will be minimal impact on the finances. But that’s becoming more and more unlikely as weeks go by.

"We just don’t know at the moment how much our finances will have been affected by the virus. Clearly if it’s running into tens of millions of pounds it’s going to have to affect everybody’s strategies.

"But we’ve got some super young players and we’ve got some players who have done really, really well out on loan.

"And if it came to it, we’ve got some good young players to add to what I think is a young and exciting squad who are ready to make that transition to the Premier League, like Leo Trossard, Alexis Mac Alllister.

"Webster and Maupay have obviously had their first season in the Premier League. And I hope we’ll be in a really good position whatever is thrown at us."

A potential lack of incoming business could also provide huge opportunities for the likes of Tariq Lamptey - signed from Chelsea for £4m last January - and it also allows Arron Connolly and Steven Alzate to continue their Premier League development.

"One of the by-products is that clubs may run with smaller squads. We’ve also got Fifa bringing in some restrictions on loans and loan numbers, albeit it looks like they are going to be put back 12 months.

"So you looking at clubs running with smaller squads which may well give us some opportunities for some really good young talent that we can bring in alongside our own homegrown, like Steven Alzate and Aaron Connolly."

Albion could also have a new face at the club when the coronavirus lockdown is finally lifted. Sydney FC teenager Cameron Peupion was reportedly on the brink of completing a move, where he would join fellow Australians Maty Ryan and Aaron Mooy.

Peupion, 17, had a trial at Albion recently, having impressed for Australia at the under-17s World Cup last year. Ashworth confirmed he's a young talent Albion are keen on but stopped short of saying the signing of a three year contract was sealed.

Ashworth also highlighted the support network a young player can expect to receive if they were to leave a country such as Australia and move to the other side of the world in pursuit of pro career.

"Signings become very difficult at this point in time," said Ashworth "We’ve got a lot of good young players in our academy and they see a lot of players and he would be one of the ones that we’ve seen.

"We’ve got a really experienced Academy manager in John Morley. Simon Rusk has been an under 23 coach for a number of years. We’ve got David Weir who’s our loan manager and has 600 Premier League games, a fully fledged international, as well as being a parent of a boy on the system as well.

"So between the three of them, and all the other things we have in place - mental well-being, psychological support, physical support, our player care team, host families - we think we have a pretty good programme to at least give people the opportunity of maximising their potential.

"We don’t take it lightly, it’s the person first. And we wouldn’t be moving young players unless we thought they have a really good chance of having a career with us.

"And once they do move, we’ve got a lot of people, experienced and good people, in place to maximise their potential."

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