Brighton's conveyor belt of talent seems never-ending – and as well as bringing in a steady stream of prodigious players, the business they do in the other direction plays a key part too.
The loan market has helped the Seagulls soar to the highest heights in their history, recording their best ever league finish of sixth in the Premier League last season and securing European football for the very first time.
And the club's technical director, former Everton and Scotland defender David Weir, has given FourFourTwo an insight into how they approach loans – using global marketplace TransferRoom and its Plus Pitch tool in order to find the ideal loan club for a player's specific skillset.
"It’s a way and means of talking to a lot of different clubs very quickly," Weir explains, "making them aware of a situation that might have popped up short-term, or a longer-term solution that you’re looking for further down the line.
"It’s helpful, although it isn’t everything," he continues. "We use it in combination with Gordon Greer, our pathway manager, who makes countless calls, talks to many people, and has vast experience in finding clubs that will work for different players."
What's the funniest thing you've EVER seen at a football match?
The likes of Ben White, Alexis Mac Allister and Moises Caicedo have all benefitted from loan spells away from Brighton, returning to establish themselves in the first team and generating substantial transfer fees.
Brighton continued their stunning start to the 2023/24 Premier League campaign with a comfortable 3-1 win over Manchester United at Old Trafford on Saturday.
Roberto De Zerbi's side host AEK Athens in their first Europa League group game this Thursday coming.
Read more
'THE WORLD IS A HUGE PLACE' FFT gets the inside track on Brighton's scouting network
QUIZ! Can you name every stadium to ever host a Premier League game?
