As Yasin Ayari prepares to face Coventry City, having spent a loan spell with the Sky Blues in the Championship, Brighton and Hove Albion head coach Fabian Hürzeler praised the player.
Hürzeler said that he hoped to work with the young Sweden international for a “longer time” amid continuing talks over a new contract.
Ayari’s existing Albion deal is due to expire next summer although the club holds an option for an additional year – and he has attracted interest from Premier League rivals.
The 22-year-old midfielder has made 75 of his 79 Brighton appearances since Hurzeler’s appointment in 2024.
He spent the previous season on loan at Coventry, playing 13 games before a further 13 outings for Blackburn Rovers the following season, although he made only eight starts across both spells.
On the contract talks, Hürzeler said: “You always want to solve these things internally before we go to the public.
“In general, what I can say is Yasin is a great player. He made a great development with us through the last two years.
“He grows as a player. He grows as a personality. He takes more responsibility so I’m very happy to work with this kind of player.
“I’m very happy to work especially with him and, hopefully, he stays here for a longer time.”
Ayari joined Brighton from Swedish club AIK in January 2023, shortly after making his international debut.
He has gone on to win 25 caps, including four appearances at the World Cup this summer under former Seagulls head coach Graham Potter.
Meanwhile, Coventry boss Frank Lampard said that “exciting” winger Yann Gboho will provide the Sky Blues with something different to their attacking play.
The Midlands side host Brighton tomorrow (Sunday 13 September) still seeking their first Premier League point after away defeats at Arsenal and Manchester City and a home loss to fellow new boys Hull City.
Gboho, the cousin of Paris St Germain star Desire Doue and capped by France at youth level, could be involved for the first time after joining from Toulouse on transfer deadline day.
Lampard said: “He’s adapting to us and had a few good days of training. He can play in different systems, which he played in Toulouse, in back threes and back fours, so he’s a versatile player for us.”
Gboho, 25, joined Coventry for a reported £10.3 million fee to become their 12th summer signing after they won the Sky Bet Championship title.
Lampard said: “He’s an exciting player for us to give us a different type, a different style on that side of the pitch that Ephron (Mason-Clark) has predominantly played on and we all know what we get from Ephron.
“He is a player that has good close control, can beat people, can handle the ball really well, make assists, create and score goals.”
