Report: Premier League club now trying to beat Newcastle to Champions League wonderkid
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Newcastle United have made it a mission to sign top talents from across the world to future-proof their squad, yet no side in the Premier League is better at this than Brighton & Hove Albion.
The Seagulls have built their entire success in recent years on picking up unpolished gems from every corner of the globe before transforming them into superstars in England and selling them on for huge transfer fees, most noticeably Moises Caicedo, Marc Cucurella and Alexis Mac Allister.
With Brighton this season having Carlos Baleba, Bart Verbruggen and Yankuba Minteh all thrive under new manager Fabian Hurzeler this season, next summer could see another exciting youngster leave the Amex Stadium for a huge fee.
And it appears that Brighton are already plotting to sign another top prospect who is also on Newcastle’s radar.
Brighton advancing to sign Newcastle target Andrija Maksimovic
According to CaughtOffside, Brighton are making advances to sign Red Star Belgrade teenager Andrija Maksimovic, with Newcastle also interested in the 17-year-old attacking midfielder, along with Chelsea and Manchester City.
Appearing in the UEFA Champions League already this season for the Serbian giants, Maksimovic has attracted some major interest this season after breaking into Red Star’s senior squad, with Atletico Madrid, Borussia Dortmund and Juventus also keen on the teenager.
Although Newcastle have brought in some exciting youngsters since the PIF takeover three years ago, the Magpies’ record of developing these talents is nothing compared to what Brighton have managed in recent seasons.
And as a result, Newcastle could struggle to convince Maksimovic to make the move to St. James’ Park if Brighton are already ahead in the race to sign the teenager, who could favour the English south coast given their track record in developing players.
Maksimovic would be smart to choose Brighton over Newcastle
At 17-years-old, Maksimovic is at the very start of his footballing career, though early signs indicate that the versatile attacking midfield is set for a big career based on his first few performances with Red Star.
And with Premier League clubs lining up to sign Maksimovic, the teenager would be smart to choose Brighton over Newcastle given just how good the Seagulls are at developing young players and transforming them into superstars in England.
Although Newcastle could help Maksimovic become a big name in the Premier League, there is an uncertainty that this can happen when compared to what Brighton have achieved, with the Seagulls the best talent making factory in the English top-flight.
