Last weekend, Record reported Brighton & Hove Albion’s Tariq Lamptey is a priority target for Sporting. It was also said the Lisbon club would prefer to take him on loan with a purchase option.
The right-back, who has been sidelined with a knee injury since March, made three league starts last season. He’s no longer in Roberto De Zerbi’s plans at The Amex, according to Thursday’s Record.
Sporting are in the market for a new right-back to replace Héctor Bellerín and the Brighton man has been identified as one of their targets. They looked at the 22-year-old in January, to replace Pedro Porro, and he’s now back on their agenda.
The Lions want to sign the Ghana international on loan with an option to buy. This doesn’t please the Seagulls because ‘the intention is to negotiate a sale’, either with Sporting or another club.
Although Lamptey is a priority target, Sporting don’t want to go crazy, partly because he earns around €2.5m per year. Should they buy him, an effort has to be made [salary wise] to include him in the squad next season.
As things stand, there are no negotiations between the Portuguese club and Brighton. Record say Sporting are aware that buying the defender would mean an investment of around €18m.
For now, the English club want to sell the defender. The report states De Zerbi leaving Lamptey out of his plans plus his willingness to leave Brighton may favour Sporting.
It remains to be see how this case develops.
