Money is in the long run essential if you want to grow the club and make it more of a stable Premier League team. There is two core ways of getting money: tv money and increasing squad value.
Optimally you want both, but if you have to pick one, increasing squad value helps you in any division and if you fall down it improves your chances at getting back up. If you have great scouting, great academy and a staff great at developing players, you'll have a better long term chance of becoming a top 10 team than if you only sign ready, expensive players who may or may not live up to the investment.
Graham Potters ability to effectively manage a bottom tier PL team out of a relegation battle could be questioned, but his ability to improve players and increase their value is not up to debate.
I made a quick list of ÖFK/Swansea players that were sold or got their value significantly increased with him as a coach and you could say "well, thats a different thing". But if you think about it, how many Brighton players are worth less today than a year ago?
If the plan is to introduce two young players (like Alzate & Connolly this year) to the first team squad every year, it does a lot for your wallet. For this reason it wouldnt be a disaster if Brighton go down - in the Championship you could give 8-10 young players the chance. Three or four out of the academy and five or six of the ones currently on loan elsewhere.
That is when you want a coach with the proven ability to improve players and who also got a few promotions under his belt, and I both hope and think Tony Bloom know it.
Once the core has been rebuilt, the club will regardless of its 20/21 division slowly but surely turn into a big club that both get fat tv money and talents from the academy. Should get Brighton pretty close to that top 10 ambition in the long run (even post-Potter 20 year reign!).
The proof for GP:s ability to improve players/increase value:
Found Seon-Min Moon when ÖFK were in the third tier and he is now starting every game for South Korea and won their assist league in 2019. Class player who only moved back due to home sickness. Free signing, £1m win.
Found Modou Barrow when ÖFK played in the second tier and sold him to Swansea later that same seaon. £1,5m win.
Saman Ghoddos, currently in French Ligue 1 club Amiens. Signed for free (or very cheaply) and sold him for a £3,5m gain.
Ken Sema, signed him for about £50k, later sold to Watford for £2m despite only six months left of his contract.
Sotirios Long Greek Surname, bought for about £100k, three years later sold to FC Köpenhamn for £1m (also six months left on contract).
Found Fouad Bachirou (excellent player), found for free in Scottish "Greenock Morton", later sold to Malmö for £600k.
Found Curtis Edwards working as a carpenter and while ÖFK didnt get any money for him, he is now playing with the current Swedish champions.
Probably missed quite a few.
If we go down the Swansea route:
Oliver McBurnie, signed for somewhere around £1-2m but never got the chance and then had success in Bradford on loan and wanted to leave. Could probably have sold him for £4-5m then. "No, you my boi", said Potter and kept developing him. Sold for £17,5+ to Sheffield United.
Daniel James, couldnt get play time on loan in Shrewsbury and thought he had no chance of getting into the Swansea team and wanted out on a loan. "No, you good", said Potter and was later sold to United for £15m+ to Manchester United.
Matt Grimes
Transfermarkt est. value 2018: £1m, now: £5m
Connor Roberts
Transfermarkt est. value 2018: £0,2m, now: £4m
Joe Rodon
Transfermarkt est. value 2018: £0m, now: £2,5m (in reality a lot more..)
Jay Fulton
Transfermarkt est. value 2018: £0,5m, now: £3,5m
George Byers
Transfermarkt est. value 2018: £0m, now: £2m
Bersant Celina
Signed for: £3,2m, value now: £5m (probably more)
Optimally you want both, but if you have to pick one, increasing squad value helps you in any division and if you fall down it improves your chances at getting back up. If you have great scouting, great academy and a staff great at developing players, you'll have a better long term chance of becoming a top 10 team than if you only sign ready, expensive players who may or may not live up to the investment.
Graham Potters ability to effectively manage a bottom tier PL team out of a relegation battle could be questioned, but his ability to improve players and increase their value is not up to debate.
I made a quick list of ÖFK/Swansea players that were sold or got their value significantly increased with him as a coach and you could say "well, thats a different thing". But if you think about it, how many Brighton players are worth less today than a year ago?
If the plan is to introduce two young players (like Alzate & Connolly this year) to the first team squad every year, it does a lot for your wallet. For this reason it wouldnt be a disaster if Brighton go down - in the Championship you could give 8-10 young players the chance. Three or four out of the academy and five or six of the ones currently on loan elsewhere.
That is when you want a coach with the proven ability to improve players and who also got a few promotions under his belt, and I both hope and think Tony Bloom know it.
Once the core has been rebuilt, the club will regardless of its 20/21 division slowly but surely turn into a big club that both get fat tv money and talents from the academy. Should get Brighton pretty close to that top 10 ambition in the long run (even post-Potter 20 year reign!).
The proof for GP:s ability to improve players/increase value:
Found Seon-Min Moon when ÖFK were in the third tier and he is now starting every game for South Korea and won their assist league in 2019. Class player who only moved back due to home sickness. Free signing, £1m win.
Found Modou Barrow when ÖFK played in the second tier and sold him to Swansea later that same seaon. £1,5m win.
Saman Ghoddos, currently in French Ligue 1 club Amiens. Signed for free (or very cheaply) and sold him for a £3,5m gain.
Ken Sema, signed him for about £50k, later sold to Watford for £2m despite only six months left of his contract.
Sotirios Long Greek Surname, bought for about £100k, three years later sold to FC Köpenhamn for £1m (also six months left on contract).
Found Fouad Bachirou (excellent player), found for free in Scottish "Greenock Morton", later sold to Malmö for £600k.
Found Curtis Edwards working as a carpenter and while ÖFK didnt get any money for him, he is now playing with the current Swedish champions.
Probably missed quite a few.
If we go down the Swansea route:
Oliver McBurnie, signed for somewhere around £1-2m but never got the chance and then had success in Bradford on loan and wanted to leave. Could probably have sold him for £4-5m then. "No, you my boi", said Potter and kept developing him. Sold for £17,5+ to Sheffield United.
Daniel James, couldnt get play time on loan in Shrewsbury and thought he had no chance of getting into the Swansea team and wanted out on a loan. "No, you good", said Potter and was later sold to United for £15m+ to Manchester United.
Matt Grimes
Transfermarkt est. value 2018: £1m, now: £5m
Connor Roberts
Transfermarkt est. value 2018: £0,2m, now: £4m
Joe Rodon
Transfermarkt est. value 2018: £0m, now: £2,5m (in reality a lot more..)
Jay Fulton
Transfermarkt est. value 2018: £0,5m, now: £3,5m
George Byers
Transfermarkt est. value 2018: £0m, now: £2m
Bersant Celina
Signed for: £3,2m, value now: £5m (probably more)
