Brighton and Hove Albion casting eyes over ex-Portsmouth player

Portsmouth might not be willing to give Harvey Hughes a chance at the club but it looks like Brighton could offer him a deal to join them instead, as reported by The News.

The defender has actually featured for Pompey this season, playing once in the EFL Trophy.

He’s also been involved as a substitute for the side in the league to boot but it doesn’t look like they’ve seen enough to want to keep him.

Instead, his time at Pompey looks set to come to an end and he will not be offered fresh terms with the club. Rather than having to battle his way into another side once he departs though, it looks like he may already have the opportunity to prove himself elsewhere.

That’s because he is now on trial at Brighton – and if he does the business during his time there, then he could earn himself a contract with the club that would see him jump up to the Premier League. He wouldn’t play in their first-team of course but would be able to feature for their reserve and academy sides for now instead.

That’s where he is expected to fulfil his trial period, with The News reporting that he is training with the Brighton Under-23 side. They will then determine whether there is potential in the player and if a deal should be struck to keep him on a more permanent basis or whether they too will pass on the player.

If he can prove himself now, then it could pay off for the player then.

The Verdict

Harvey Hughes hasn’t really had the chance to prove himself yet in competitive action and only those who have watched him on his loan stints or for Portsmouth’s academy team will know how good he is and the talent he possesses.

If he makes the most of this trial period though, he may get ample opportunity to continue to prove he can cut it in