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Keeping stars is key says Hughton [The Argus]



Newshound

Brighton 8049
Jun 5, 2011
18,359
ALBION boss Chris Hughton says keeping hold of his stars is more important than further additions to his table-topping squad.
Hughton is still intent on signing another centre-half and striker before the transfer window shuts at the end of the month.
His bigger priority is maintaining the status quo, with Anthony Knockaert, Dale Stephens and Lewis Dunk all attracting major summer bids from current and former Premier League clubs which the Seagulls have rejected.
Hughton admitted: “Yes, I think so. We’ve started well, there was a good feel right through pre-season.
“Most people were looking at the Derby game to see how we were going to start. We came out of that with a lot of credit and to go on and win two home games, scoring goals and keeping clean sheets, shows good intent.
“Amongst all of that it’s very important that we keep this squad together and hopefully put ourselves in a position to challenge again.”
Albion had two bids rejected by Blackburn last month for Republic of Ireland centre-half Shane Duffy, who scored two own goals and was sent-off in Rovers’ midweek defeat at Cardiff.
A deal to sign Spurs No.10 Alex Pritchard was then hijacked by Norwich.
The urgency to fill the gaps has been reduced by the form of Bruno as an emergency central defender and return to contention of enigmatic Dutch attacker Elvis Manu.
Hughton said: “Bruno has settled in at centre-half as if he has played there all his career and apart from the three up front (Glenn Murray, Tomer Hemed, Sam Baldock) there’s also Elvis Manu, who is training well and has got himself to a good level.
“We also have other players we know can play off the front, Solly March coming back, Jamie Murphy can do it, (Jiri) Skalak can, so I wouldn’t say there is one preference over the other.
“The two positions have probably been identified only because we’re short of the numbers from last season.”
Hughton has a decision to make between the posts at Reading tomorrow following regular No.1 David Stockdale’s recovery from a shin injury.
Stockdale and Niki Maenpaa have each kept two clean sheets so far this season.
Reading have snapped up 23-year-old Liechtenstein midfielder Sandro Wieser on a free transfer from Swiss club FC Thun, new manager Jaap Stam’s ninth signing.

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