Brighton are now moments away from announcing Matías Orozco from Deportivo Cali, with the 18-year-old already in England to complete formalities.
Colombia’s El Heraldo confirmed Orozco travelled alongside his agent, Leonardo Daza. He will undergo his medical and complete the necessary paperwork before signing for Brighton, just like we covered earlier.
There are slightly different figures being reported in Colombia though.
El Heraldo puts the agreement at €4.8m (£4.1m) plus bonuses for 85% of his rights. César Augusto Londoño instead says Brighton will pay €4.7m (£4m) for that 85%, with the overall operation valued at €5.5m (£4.7m).
What everyone agrees on is the important part: Deportivo Cali are keeping the remaining 15% of a future transfer. That fits with Pipe Sierra’s previous information. He explained Cali preferred taking a little less upfront to preserve a stake in Orozco’s future.
Brighton getting midfielder with ‘superior intelligence’
So, what are Brighton actually buying? Orozco only turned 18 in December and made his professional debut last year. His rise at Deportivo Cali has been very quick.
He’s primarily a defensive midfielder, although his qualities allow him to do considerably more than simply sit in front of the defence.
El Heraldo highlights his intensity when recovering possession, technical ability and capacity to progress the ball. They also point to his vision and shooting.
Local pundit Samuel Vargas is particularly enthusiastic about the teenager. He highlighted Orozco’s “enormous potential” and believes Brighton are getting a player with “technique above the average”.
His biggest compliment concerned Orozco’s reading of the game.
“He has enormous potential, technique above the average and, above all, a superior intelligence you wouldn’t expect from such a young player,” Vargas said.
“Ecuadorians, Paraguayans and Argentines have succeeded in England recently. At Brighton even! We were missing our [Colombian] contribution,” he added.
Orozco has already taken on significant responsibility despite his age. He’s represented Colombia at youth level and has even worn the captain’s armband.
Now Brighton will get a much closer look at how quickly those qualities can translate to English football.
Loan expected to be Brighton’s next step
Signing the contract doesn’t necessarily mean Orozco will immediately join Brighton’s first-team squad. Journalist Carlos Arturo Arango reports the Seagulls intend to send the midfielder out on loan.
The idea is for Orozco to accumulate senior minutes and work towards meeting the requirements needed to play in the Premier League. No destination has yet been given for that potential temporary move.
Vargas himself suggested Orozco may join Brighton’s squad in the medium term, while admitting he doesn’t know whether that will happen immediately.
The current plan therefore appears to point towards a loan. First, though, Orozco has his medical and contract formalities to complete. Brighton will then have the opportunity to assess him themselves.
If he makes a big enough impression during that process and his first days around the club, perhaps the Seagulls will have something to think about before sending him elsewhere.
