Beram Kayal (Getty Images)
According to Evening Express, Brighton have planned to offload midfielder Beram Kayal once his contract expires at the end of the season.
Kayal, 32, came through the ranks of Maccabi Haifa and made 107 appearances for the Israeli outfit, helping them lift two league titles. He was then signed by Celtic in the summer of 2010 and was successful with the Scottish giants as he helped them lift four Premiership titles and two Scottish Cups before joining Brighton in January 2015.
He played a key role when the Seagulls were in the Championship and also helped them get promoted to the top-flight at the end of the 2016/17 season. However, he made just 37 Premier League appearances and could not continue at a high level.
As a result, he was sent on loan to Charlton Athletic last summer, where he managed to feature in just six league games throughout the campaign. Thus, the Seagulls have done the best thing by announcing to part ways with the Israel international.
Graham Potter’s side have been inconsistent throughout the campaign and with just 3 wins in the league since the restart, they have finished 15th in the league table. However, they have managed to secure top-flight status and the manager should bring in reinforcements to strengthen their squad next season.
For that to happen, they need to offload some of the fringe players as they have a huge squad of 32 members. In that regard, selling Kayal in the summer could be a good decision by the club.
The former Celtic man hasn’t been at his best for the last few years and has been inconsistent. His loan spell at Charlton didn’t help either and he seems to be way behind his best days. Since the 2016/17 season, he has managed to score just 3 goals and 4 assists. This shows that he cannot be depended upon to contribute to Brighton next season.
Moreover, he is already 32 and is reaching the rear end of his career. He has failed to make use of the opportunities he has received. It would be good if he moves as he would be able to finish his career on a good note elsewhere.
Also, if Brighton keep hold of him, they would just be wasting their resources as they already have plenty of midfielders in their ranks. They have also signed young Jensen Weir for the future.
At 32, Kayal seems to have lost his form completely and has been mostly used on the bench in the last few seasons. Thus, Brighton parting ways with the Israeli seems to be the best option for both the club and the player as his departure would also make way for a few more new faces ahead of the new season.
