What do Brighton do about their problematic No 6 position?

By Andy Naylor

Brighton & Hove Albion’s summer rebuild will hinge on one pivotal question: who anchors the midfield next season? With head coach Fabian Hurzeler’s system demanding a tactically astute, defensively disciplined and relentlessly communicative No 6, the club are no closer to a long-term answer than they were when Moises Caicedo left for Chelsea in a £115 million deal two summers ago.

James Milner, 40, has filled the breach with typical diligence, but the Premier League’s new appearance-record holder cannot be asked to shoulder the role for another campaign. “It is not sustainable,” club sources admit, for Milner to start 30-plus matches in the engine room that Hurzeler describes as “the connector of all positions”.

Carlos Baleba, the 22-year-old Cameroon international targeted by Manchester United last summer, remains the most gifted candidate on the books, yet his future is clouded. Brighton would entertain a “chunky fee” for a player who has completed 90 minutes only twice in 24 league outings this term and whose second-half fade-outs have become a weekly concern. Baleba was substituted in the 78th minute of Wednesday’s 1-0 loss to Arsenal after a promising but ultimately incomplete display that left him kicking the post in frustration when an early chip was cleared off the line by Gabriel Magalhaes.

Hurzeler, himself a converted No 6 during his academy days at Bayern Munich, praised the midfielder’s performance but underlined the enduring issue. “He still needs to work on his condition to play for 90 minutes. Again, around minute 70 he started to struggle.”

Milner, ever the mentor, believes Baleba would benefit from a prolonged on-pitch apprenticeship. “I’d love ten games alongside him,” the veteran said last week. “Nothing compares to learning in real time, but the Premier League doesn’t give you that luxury.”

Should Baleba depart, Brighton’s recruitment staff must identify a replacement capable of executing Hurzeler’s high-stakes positional play. Mats Wieffer, signed from Feyenoord last summer, has been redeployed as a right-back and is no longer viewed as an internal solution. Yasin Ayari, returning from a dislocated shoulder, and teenager Jack Hinshelwood—pushed forward to the No 10 role of late—are considered developmental options rather than ready-made starters.

The technical staff concede that experience is non-negotiable. “Young players have to grow into the role of being a communicator,” Hurzeler explained. “James is already there; the others need time, minutes and painful lessons.”

With Brighton on course for a mid-table finish and European aspirations hinging on solving the position that once showcased Caicedo’s brilliance, the coming transfer window represents a crossroads. Either Brighton unearth a battle-ready specialist capable of dictating tempo and shielding the back line, or they risk another season of patchwork solutions in the most critical area of the pitch.