Malick Yalcouyé completed a £6 million move to Brighton and Hove Albion on July 24, 2024. The move saw him leave Swedish side IFK Göteborg in a record deal for them.
Brighton fans got a first look at the 18-year-old in a pre-season against Kashima Antlers in Japan, a fixture which the Albion won 5-1.
He also started in the U21 side's Bristol Street Motors Trophy game against Crawley Town, where he unfortunately missed a penalty in the shootout.
Just nine days after this match, he was sent out on loan to Sturm Graz in the Austrian Bundesliga.
This is not the first time the Seagulls have brought in a young African midfielder, so what makes him different? And what will he bring to the club after his loan spell? VAVEL explores all here.
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His club career so far
Yalcouyé started his career at the Center De Formation Étoiles De Sahel Abobo before moving to the Ivorian Ligue 1, where he made one appearance for ASEC Mimosas in their 2023/24 CAF Champions League campaign.
His debut came on August 20, 2023, less than a year before his move to Brighton.
On February 1, 2024, he moved to IFK Göteborg in the Allsvenskan, the top tier of Swedish football.
In total, the Malian made 14 appearances for Göteborg and played 1,121 minutes across those games.
He played 11 games in the Allsvenskan and three games in the Svenska Cupen.
In that time, he scored one goal, which came in a league fixture against IF Brommapojkarna.
Just 162 days later, the youngster moved to Brighton in a £6m deal that could reportedly rise to £10m; a steep fee for a player with only 15 professional appearances to his name.
A week after his arrival, new boss Fabian Hürzeler included him in his pre-season tour squad.
On July 24, he made his debut in the opening pre-season fixture against Kashima Antlers, where he was subbed on for the final 10 minutes.
Four days later, he was given a start in the second pre-season game against Tokyo Verdy. His performance impressed many Brighton supporters.
The Seagulls then returned to England for two final pre-season fixtures.
The first was against QPR, where Yalcouyé made the bench, but was not brought on.
The final one was against Villarreal. Brighton won 4-0, but Yalcouyé was not included in the matchday squad.
10 days later, he started in an U21's fixture against Crawley Town. The tie ended 2-2, with Crawley winning 6-5 on penalties.
Albion's only miss in the shootout came from the 18-year-old. However, the rest of his performance excited many fans.
Following this game there were reports of a potential loan move to Hürzeler's former club, FC St. Pauli.
The deal seemed to be close, but it fell through at the last minute, and he was sent out on loan to SK Strum Graz - who are 690 miles away from St. Pauli - in the Austrian Bundesliga.
He joined up with another Albion loanee in Dutch goalkeeper, Kjell Scherpen.
So far this season, Yalcouyé has made eight appearances across all competitions and played 542 minutes.
He has made five league appearances, in which he has scored one goal - a rocket of a volley in a 5-0 win over RB Salzburg - and has provided two assists.
One assist came in a 2-2 draw with Austria Vienna and another in a 2-1 victory over Blau Weiss Linz.
The Malian has also made three appearances in the Champions League, but so far Strum Graz have failed to win any games.
The next section of his profile would usually be his international career so far. However, he is yet to receive a cap at any level or age group, with his dual citizenship of Mali and Côte d'Ivoire allowing him to play for either nation.
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What will he bring to Brighton?
Yalcouyé is arguably the perfect Hürzeler midfielder. He is a workhorse.
With limited games under his belt, it is difficult to determine a distinct style, but he has been likened to players such as N'Golo Kanté, Mads Bidstrup and Tyler Adams.
Interestingly, Adams is a player that the Seagulls were reportedly chasing a few windows ago.
If he is anything like the former of that trio, then Tony Bloom has a serious player on his hands.
However, from watching Hürzeler's games in charge at St. Pauli and Yalcouyé's games in pre-season, it seems he was used in a very similar role to former Hull midfielder, Jackson Irvine.
The German manager liked to play the Australian as a 'false 10' during his time in the Bundesliga 2.
Yalcouyé's best attributes make him a perfect fit for this role.
He has fantastic pace and acceleration, he is good at tackling and intercepting, is excellent on the ball with his dribbling and agility, has an amazing passing range and has an engine of stamina to keep going for the entire 90 minutes plus added time.
This was clearly seen during his games in Japan.
He is only 5'7", so his aerial duels are not one of his strong suits, but his heart and desire make up for that.
Most importantly, he is a team player.
The youngster is definitely a player to watch if you have a chance this season, and come next season, he could be a key part of Brighton's midfield.
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Where will he fit into the squad?
At this moment in time, Brighton have a stacked midfield roster. So, it is no surprise that the 18-year-old was sent out on loan this season.
If Yalcouyé was kept in this squad this season, his game time would have been seriously impacted by players such as Carlos Baleba, Mats Wieffer, and Matt O'Riley.
Just look at players like Jakub Moder; an experienced and talented player who has struggled to get into the squad this season.
In Yalcouyé's career so far, he has played four different positions.
But there is a clear favourite amongst the four.
The youngster has played one game as a defensive midfielder and one game as an attacking midfielder.
His lack of game time in these positions combined with the talent of Baleba, Wieffer and Georginio Rutter, makes it unlikely we will see him used in either of these positions any time soon.
The Malian has also played six games as a right midfielder, where he picked up one goal and two assists for Sturm Graz.
That is not bad for a teenager in a very competitive league.
However, the Brighton squad is already full of top-quality wide players such as Brajan Gruda and Yankuba Minteh. There is a chance Yalcouyé could play here if injuries occur or performances are not good enough.
But it is much more likely to see Yalcouyé used in his natural position; central midfield.
In his so far short career, he has made 12 appearances in the heart of midfield and scored one goal.
The stats do not blow you away, but when watching him play, there is something seriously impressive about him.
The current form of Yasin Ayari and the imminent return of O'Riley will certainly make it difficult for Yalcouyé to break into the starting XI next season, but if he continues like he is, then there is no reason why he cannot break into the squad upon his return from loan.
Yalcouyé is one to watch over the next few weeks and months.
