Derby County, Portsmouth and Reading keen on Brighton player | OneFootball

Highlights

footballleagueworld video of the day

League One trio Derby County, Portsmouth and Reading have all enquired about the availability of Brighton and Hove Albion midfielder Jensen Weir, according to journalist Darren Witcoop.

Six years ago when the Seagulls were in the Championship, Weir may have got a chance to prove his worth at the Amex Stadium this term but they are a completely different beast now.

Not only are they in the Premier League - but they are now competing in a European competition and need strength and experience in depth to give themselves the best chance of thriving in the league and in Europe during the 2023/24 campaign.

The options they have means Weir could be temporarily surplus to requirements at this stage, with Roberto De Zerbi potentially set to let him go out on loan because of this.

Who is Jensen Weir?

Weir is a 21-year-old midfielder who started his career at Wigan Athletic before taking the step up to Brighton in 2020.

However, he has failed to make a single competitive senior appearance for the Seagulls and has gone out on two loan spells, joining Cambridge United during 2021/22 and then spending last season at Morecambe.

He thrived with the Shrimps, recording 10 goals and five assists in 43 league appearances with the player proving to be a real asset in the final third.

Unfortunately, it doesn't seem as though his long-term future lies at the Amex Stadium considering his age and the existing options De Zerbi has. But only a loan move may be sanctioned again this summer.

Would Jensen Weir be a good signing for Derby County, Portsmouth and Reading?

The fact Weir was so good in the final third last term means he could be a real asset for all three teams during 2023/24.

Derby need more attacking firepower and if they can gain that from bringing another midfielder in, they should be open to doing this.

They will probably be light in options in the middle of the park if Max Bird departs before the deadline, so having Weir as an option would be great.

The Royals would also benefit from having Weir at their disposal, even though they already have Lewis Wing scored regularly for Wycombe last season.

They may have signed Charlie Savage, Wing and Tivonge Rushesha, but the latter is still inexperienced and they should be looking to add another option in the middle of the park to ensure they have enough depth in this area.

If they have enough depth, they could potentially send the likes of Jay Senga and Michael Craig out on loan and that may benefit their careers.

Because of their slow start to the window and the fact they are competing in so many competitions, the Berkshire side may have to rely on some youngsters this term.

But they haven't used the loan market yet and could benefit from bringing Weir in.

Pompey are another side in need of more quality in the middle of the park with Ryan Tunnicliffe departing, so someone like Weir could be extremely useful and he may be guaranteed regular starts at Fratton Park.