Brighton are closing in on a deal for Ibrahim Osman from Danish club FC Nordsjaelland after the forward was targeted by West Ham during the January transfer window.
West Ham made the running for the 19-year-old last month but could not agree a fee with his club, which opened the door for talks over the teenager moving to the Amex Stadium in the summer.
Osman is highly rated by Premier League scouts and Brighton, with their recent success of bringing talent from abroad, were long-standing admirers of him after his breakthrough in the Danish Superliga last season.
He only joined Nordsjaelland a year ago but made an instant impression after arriving at the Right to Dream Academy in his homeland Ghana, which has a track record of producing professionals.
The deal for Osman is expected to be worth more than £15 million to his club, with add-ons factored into the deal.
Brighton is hoping for a similar impact from Osman to Simon Adingra, who was bought from Nordsjaelland in 2022 and has broken into Roberto De Zerbi’s first-team squad.
During the window, Brighton completed the signing of Argentinian teenager Valentin Barco from Boca Juniors.
Mahmoud Dahoud left after only half a season at the club, joining Stuttgart on loan until the end of the season.
“It can happen,” said De Zerbi. “It’s not easy to change country or to come into this league – it’s different from the other leagues. Maybe he didn’t find the right conditions to play at his level.”
Overall, when assessing the January window, De Zerbi added: “I don’t know. We will see in the next games. It is not my business, the transfer market.
“My focus is on the pitch, we will see in the future. I think we have two fewer players in the midfield. I spoke with the club but they decided a different way.”
