Brighton winger Kaoru Mitoma is expected to agree a new contract with the club soon despite transfer rumours linking him with a potential move to Barcelona.
The Japan international has been a joy to watch during his time with the Seagulls, and it seems only a matter of time before he becomes the next star player to be poached by a bigger club.
Brighton have often ended up selling a number of their star names in recent times, with Moises Caicedo, Alexis Mac Allister, Leandro Trossard and Marc Cucurella among those to leave in the last year or so.
Mitoma could surely be good enough to make an impact for someone like Barcelona, but it seems Fabrizio Romano has ruled that out for the time being in the latest edition of his exclusive column for the Daily Briefing.
Instead, it seems Mitoma is more likely to sign a new deal with Brighton soon, according to the transfer expert.
“I’m aware of some talk of Barcelona making Kaoru Mitoma a top target for 2024, but honestly at the moment I’m not aware of anything concrete,” Romano said.
“Mitoma is appreciated by many clubs around Europe, but there’s really nothing advanced with anyone at this stage.
“Brighton, however, are making progress in new deal talks with Mitoma, and it’s expected to be agreed soon.”