Brighton
Brighton’s safest bet would be to avoid signing this 30-year-old to boost attacking unit
Why Brighton should avoid a move for Romain Alessandrini
According to Daily Express (h/t Birmingham Live), Brighton are among a host of clubs linked with a move for French winger Romain Alessandrini, who is out of contract at Los Angeles Galaxy in the Major League Soccer.
Premier League rivals Aston Villa, Watford and West Ham have also been credited with an interest in the 30-year-old, who is currently looking for a new club following the expiry of his contract at LA Galaxy (Express h/t Birmingham Live).
Despite spending the majority of the previous campaign on the sidelines with a knee injury, Alessandrini’s two-and-a-half-year stint in the United States proved to be a raging success.
The left-footed winger bagged 24 goals and 23 assists in 63 appearances for LA Galaxy in all competitions, following his move across the Atlantic from French heavyweights Marseille back in January 2017.
Alessandrini started his footballing education at his hometown club Marseille and completed his development at lower division outfit Gueugnon before moving on to join Clermont Foot in the summer of 2010.
Impressive returns of 11 goals in each of his two seasons at Clermont Foot paved the way for a move to the top-flight with Rennes, where he scored 20 times in 60 appearances before joining Ligue 1 rivals Marseille in 2014.
The 30-year-old struggled to make the same kind of impact at his new club but he competed for the first time in Europe, nevertheless. Alessandrini clocked up 65 appearances for Marseille before departing for the MLS with LA Galaxy in January 2017.
Despite his absence from Europe over the past two years, the veteran seems to be on the verge of a return to the continent, with several Premier League clubs weighing up a free transfer for the 30-year-old Frenchman.
With Potter quitting his job at Swansea City to take up the role at Brighton in the summer, the Seagulls spent big in the transfer market to provide the new manager with some top-quality players.
Neal Maupay, Adam Webster and Leandro Trossard came through the door as the key marquee signings while Aaron Mooy was also roped in on a season-long loan deal from Huddersfield Town.
To that end though, Brighton have endured a rather slow start to life under their new manager. While there have been some obvious signs of promise, the Seagulls will need to improve considerably in the second half of the campaign if they are to push on for a respectable mid-table finish.
Having scored 16 and conceded 21 goals in 14 games so far, Brighton currently sit 16th in the standings, just three points above the relegation zone.
Hence, attacking reinforcements would once again be a priority for the Seagulls.
With that in mind, however, Brighton’s interest in Romain Alessandrini doesn’t strike the right chords for a number of reasons.
Firstly, his age could prove to be problematic. Brighton roped in some exciting young players like Maupay, Trossard, Webster and Matt Clarke in January and Alessandrini is not someone who is in the upward curve of his career.
Secondly, Alessandrini has been away from the European game for more than two years and a return to the continent, especially to the highly-competitive atmosphere of the Premier League, might make it difficult for him to start firing on all cylinders once again.
Notwithstanding the fact that Brighton can certainly do with more options down the flanks, they need to sort out the futures of a number of attacking players before making any further additions.
Florin Andone and Jurgen Locadia are currently out on loan at Galatasaray and Hoffenheim respectively while Jose Izquierdo is yet to make a single appearance this season due to his ongoing issues with a knee injury.
Furthermore, big-money Iranian recruit Alireza Jahanbakhsh has been gathering dust under Potter this term, with the 26-year-old restricted to a solitary appearance for the Seagulls in the EFL Cup.
Taking into consideration that all the aforementioned players are capable of playing wide roles on either side of the pitch, Brighton would probably need to sell before they buy another out-and-out winger like Romain Alessandrini.
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Verdict
All in all, the Seagulls would be better off dropping their interest in the French star, even if it means bringing him in on a free transfer.
Brighton
Liverpool Boss Gareth Taylor Satisfied With Brighton Point Despite Missing Chance to Climb WSL Table as Reds Held to Goalless Stalemate
Gareth Taylor insists Liverpool can take positives from their goalless draw at Brighton despite the frustrating result leaving them stuck in 10th place in the Women’s Super League. The Reds failed to capitalize on a golden opportunity to close the gap on Aston Villa above them, with both sides creating chances but lacking the cutting edge to break the deadlock on Sunday afternoon.
The Liverpool manager acknowledged the physical nature of the contest when addressing reporters after the match, explaining how both teams pressed aggressively, which stretched the game between the boxes. Taylor believes his side showed enough quality to suggest better results are coming if they can improve their composure in possession and make smarter decisions in the final third.
Reds Dominated Second Half Spells
Liverpool grew into the contest after the interval, according to their manager, with a strong 15 minute spell where they controlled possession in dangerous areas around Brighton’s penalty area. Taylor felt his defense handled Brighton’s attacking threat better than Chelsea managed in their recent meeting with the Seagulls, limiting the hosts to very few clear cut opportunities.
The former Manchester City assistant stressed that cleaner decision making when in control of the ball will be crucial for turning these draws into victories during the run in. Liverpool created enough chances to win the match but struggled to find the clinical finishing required at this level of competition.
Summer Rebuild Already on Manager’s Mind
Taylor made no secret of his frustration at failing to gain ground on the teams directly above Liverpool in the standings. The manager confessed he is already thinking about the summer break as an opportunity to reset and prepare properly for a much improved campaign next season, hinting at potential squad changes.
Liverpool faces the Merseyside derby against Everton next weekend, giving them another chance to move up the congested mid table positions before the season concludes. Taylor will demand a more clinical performance from his attackers.
Chelsea hosts Brighton in Women’s Super League action at Kingsmeadow on Wednesday evening, with the Blues hoping to continue their good recent form. The match was rescheduled from the weekend just gone to allow Chelsea to compete in the League Cup final at Ashton Gate on Sunday.
Sonia Bompastor’s side picked up their first piece of silverware of the season courtesy of a 2-0 victory over Manchester United, with Lauren James and Aggie Beever Jones netting to ensure the Blues retained the trophy. Chelsea sits third in the table, a point behind second placed Manchester United and a point ahead of Arsenal, who have played a game fewer.
Kick-off: 19:00 GMT, Wednesday, March 18, 2026
Venue: Kingsmeadow, London
TV: Sky Sports Main Event, WSL YouTube
Blues Missing Key Defenders Through Injury
Chelsea will be without several key defenders for this encounter. Millie Bright is likely to miss the match following an injury, while Naomi Girma picked up a small calf injury that ruled her out of the League Cup final. Nathalie Bjorn suffered an injury during the final after only managing five minutes, and it does not look good according to Bompastor.
Kadeisha Buchanan made her return from an ACL injury in the final, which is brilliant news for the Blues. However, Bompastor will be cautious about overusing the Canadian defender, who has been out since November 2024.
Brighton Struggling for Form Recently
Brighton have lost three of their four WSL fixtures since Chelsea beat them 3-0 at the Broadfield Stadium in December. The Seagulls were most recently beaten 3-2 by West Ham on February 8, which continued their poor run of results.
This will be Brighton’s first WSL game since February 8, a gap of 38 days, which is absolutely massive. Such a long wait between top flight matches could work against Dario Vidosic’s side, who may lack match sharpness.
Predicted Lineups
Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Hampton; Lawrence, Buchanan, Bjorn, Baltimore; Cuthbert, Nusken; Reiten, James, Ramirez; Beever-Jones
Brighton (4-2-3-1): Walsh; Bance, Pattinson, Kullberg, Pecho; Bergsvand, Losada; Bremer, Terland, Olme; Belloumou
Sonia Bompastor has confirmed that Millie Bright is likely to miss Chelsea‘s midweek match against Brighton and Hove Albion following an injury, and could be joined by two other players. The Blues’ captain missed out on their Women’s League Cup victory at Ashton Gate over Manchester United, providing a moment of joy in what has been an otherwise dour season for the reigning WSL champions.
With Chelsea out of the Women’s Super League title race and facing uphill tasks to win both the Women’s Champions League and Women’s FA Cup, Bompastor’s side still secured silverware for the seventh successive season by overcoming Manchester United thanks to goals from Lauren James and Aggie Beaver-Jones.
Naomi Girma Picked Up Small Injury
One of the big headlines before the match was the notable absence of defender Naomi Girma, who joined captain Millie Bright on the sidelines, leaving the Blues short at the back. When discussing the fitness of both centre backs following the match, Bompastor stated, “Naomi picked up a small injury in her calf. Hopefully, it’s not too bad, and she can be available for the next game.”
She added, “I don’t have a timeframe for Millie, but I would like her to be available as soon as possible, hopefully for the weekend. It’s crucial at this business end of the season to have all your players.”
Really Sad for Nathalie Bjorn
Another major injury occurred during the game, with Nathalie Bjorn only managing five minutes after her introduction as a replacement for the returning Kadeisha Buchanan. “It was really sad for her. It doesn’t look good. We need to assess her. We were all buzzing with Kadeisha starting, and part of the plan was for Nat to come in and get some minutes,” Bompastor said.
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