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Brighton & Hove Albion are one of the clubs in the picture to sign AS Saint-Étienne’s Lucas Stassin in the summer window.

On Thursday, Belgian journalist Sacha Tavolieri reported Brighton, Brentford and VfB Stuttgart are all ready to sign the 20-year-old.

The striker has been valued at €7m and it should be affordable for Brighton and two other clubs.

But! Football Club contacted agent Christophe Mongai to get his views on the Belgium U21 international’s future, including Brighton’s interest.

The Ligue 1 side invested €10m to buy the frontman from KVC Westerlo on deadline day of last summer window. He starred this season, scoring 14 goals and registering eight assists from 33 games.

According to the agent, Stassin’s value has increased after impressing for the French club this season.

“His value has obviously increased mainly due to several factors,” he said.

“He’s already proved he can perform in a major European league. He’s only 20 years old. He’s not only a goalscorer but also an assist maker. And between his time at Westerlo and ASSE, he still scored 34 goals and provided 12 assists in 73 matches. These are excellent statistics.”

But! Football Club state Brighton and Stuttgart are showing interest in the Belgian and then ask the agent whether more clubs could come forward in the upcoming window.

“They’re already big names, but given his achievements, his potential, and his age, yes, I think even higher-level clubs could come in,” Mongai explained.

Saint-Étienne are 17th in the table [18 teams in Ligue 1] and currently in the relegation zone. They risk dropping to Ligue 2 and this may impact Stassin’s valuation.

When asked whether Saint-Étienne can retain their star, he added: “The club is run by a billionaire, so yes, they’ll have the ability to keep him. I don’t know what the player plans to do, but it’s never a good idea to keep a player against his will. And then, sometimes there are offers that you can’t refuse, both for the club and the player.”

It’s to be noted Mongai doesn’t manage Stassin and is only sharing his views on him.