Brighton and Hove Albion are eyeing a move for Malmo’s Taha Ali as they continue to scoop up talents from ‘lesser-known leagues’.
That’s according to Fichajes, who report that ‘the unknown Swedish star’ is on Brighton’s radar and he may be ‘one step away’ from the Premier League.
According to their information Brighton have set their sights on the 26-year-old, whose ability to run and explosiveness in the final third have made him stand out in Swedish football.
He’s had a ‘brilliant season’ according to the website, establishing himself as one of the key elements for Malmo and proving decisive in the last game of the season with a goal and an assist that secured the title.
Brighton’s interest is seen as ‘no coincidence’ as they are known for looking for young prospects and they have been following Ali’s trajectory in Swedish football. His ability to unbalance opposing defences and his speed are seen as perfect fits for the dynamic style Brighton have implemented.
There is a belief that Ali’s development could be further helped by the Premier League, where he’d be testing himself against the best.
We’ll have to take this with a pinch of salt, though, as there’s nothing in Sweden on the matter and Fichajes seem to think Ali is a far better player than his stats would suggest he is.
They also seem to think he is a rising youngster when in fact he is 26-years-old and is yet to manage more than 11 goals for any of the six Swedish clubs he’s played for.
Those two facts alone make us doubt Brighton are overly keen, but they are known for picking up obscure names and turning them into gems so we can’t rule it out entirely.