Blow for Arsenal as wonderkid target signs four-year deal | OneFootball

Arsenal have been linked with a move to sign Brighton’s Tariq Lamptey as replacement for Hector Bellerin, but such a deal may now be off the cards.

The young English defender left Chelsea just 12 months ago having grown frustrated with his limited playing time, and is already proving to be a top Premier League performer.

Lamptey is dangerous to any defender, using his pace and composure to torment his rivals, and is already being earmarked for a future role for England, despite a wealth of rivals for the role.

Chelsea’s position is almost understandable, with Reece James also thoroughly impressing also, and the two could well be the bright hopes for England in that position going to the European Championships next summer, but should Trent Alexander-Arnold return to the sort of form he had last season, he should be a shoo-in.

Arsenal had been looking at a deal to sign Lamptey however, with Barcelona linked with a move to bring their former youth product back to Spain, but we may now struggle to sign him.

Brighton have just confirmed that they have tied the 20 year-old down to a new four-and-a-half year deal, which will either increase his asking price tenfold, or simply rule out a potential move in the near future.

Following the Coronavirus pandemic, clubs have been a little more stringent when it comes to their finances understandably, and you would imagine that Lamptey’s immediate future will remain with Brighton, although should they find themselves relegated at some point in the near future, that could change.

Patrick