The top five U20 Brighton players to watch this season
Brajan Gruda
Gruda is Brighton’s latest signing from German side Mainz, where he impressed manager Fabian Hurzeler who recently said:
"I saw the big impact he made last season in the Bundesliga and he's a player I admire a lot.”
“The Premier League will be a different challenge but I’m looking forward to working with Brajan and helping to develop his big potential.”
The 20-year-old attacking midfielder scored 4 and bagged 3 assists in 29 appearances last season and has proven to be a solid playmaker who could be a real asset for Brighton as they look to build a midfield capable of achieving European qualification.
Jack Hinshelwood
Hinshelwood, 19, made his first-team breakthrough last season but has been nursing a foot injury for the last six months.
The teenager played a huge part for the Seagulls last year during their injury crisis and proved himself to be Premier League quality as he and many other youngsters held the team up when they were in desperate need of players.
The youngster has been with the Seagulls since the age of eight and is a versatile midfielder who could become a regular in the first team this year if given the chance.
Julio Enciso
Paraguay international Enciso is another injured star who is looking to return within the next few weeks.
The forward had a busy summer at the Copa America, then the Olympics and had a long break to rest with his injury knock.
Enciso bagged 2 assists last season in 15 appearances and at just 20 years old will be looking for more minutes to progress his development this term.
He is a Brighton asset who could become world-class if given the chance on the pitch and manager Hürzeler should allow him the freedom to shine this campaign.
Yasin Ayari
The 20-year-old went on to make 13 appearances for Blackburn Rovers last season whilst on loan in which he earned one assist whilst primarily coming on off the bench.
Ayari arrived from AIK in 2022 with four goals in 24 league appearances in a breakthrough season for the Allsvenskan side before making his senior Sweden debut in January 2023.
The midfielder could return on loan this season as Blackburn reportedly wants him back, but Hürzeler is likely to keep him as another midfield asset who could help the side reach the European places this season.
Carlos Baleba
Baleba is a midfielder who is incredibly versatile, he was played at centre-back in the preseason game against Kashima Antlers and was at left-back in the QPR friendly.
Hurzeler said that he likes the youngster in more deeper roles like the fullback position due to his passing ability.
“I think he is an option. He can play there.
“And, with the ball, when he sees the game in front of him, he can play very good vertical passes and he can create a dynamic from behind because of his dynamic runs. I think he will be an option there.”
At 20 years of age, the Cameroon international could become a key figure for Brighton in years to come and this season will likely find minutes in the many positions he can operate in.
