'Arsenal are actively watching Brighton sensation' ahead of 'big-money move'

Arsenal are certainly among the sides keeping a close eye on the future of Brighton forward Charalampos Kostoulas.

That is according to experienced former Everton, Aston Villa and Tottenham scout, Bryan King, speaking exclusively to Football Insider.

The 19-year-old has got off to a superb start to the new season, scoring five goals and providing three assists in 10 games across all competitions.

Kostoulas is under contract at Brighton until 2030, joining from Olympiakos in the summer of 2025 in a deal worth around £30million.

The Greece international has already been tipped to join the Seagull's list of significant sales in the coming years, but they will hope to convince him to bide his time before taking the next step.

Arsenal have been keen to add to their front line in recent windows, with both Viktor Gyokeres and Kai Havertz set to need a successor in the coming years.

Charalampos Kostoulas is 'an interesting player'

The Premier League is often too demanding physically and tactically for even the most talented young strikers, who usually find their feet later in the early to mid 20s.

With that in mind, it cannot be underestimated just how impressive it is that Kostoulas, still a teenager, appears to have taken just a season to make the adaptation.

The young striker scored and assisted against Crystal Palace last week, and looks to be brimming with confidence.

"Obviously, a lot of the plaudits went onto [Diego] Gomez for his wondergoal but again, another interesting player," King told Football Insider.

"Brighton go out and recruit them. They make their name with Brighton, and he's made his name quite quickly with Brighton, Kostoulas. People are obviously going to be looking at him as they've looked at all their players.

"It could be another big money move, and more pound notes in the pot for Brighton. I'm sure Arsenal have already looked at him.

"From what I'm told they're looking at him on the games he plays now. It's going to be very, very interesting to see how his future pans out."

Fabian Hurzeler approach paying off

Kostoulas was forced to wait for opportunities in his first season at Brighton.

Speaking in January, Fabian Hurzeler said: "It is important to understand that he has big potential and we all know that he can really change the game for us.

"It's like sticking to our culture, sticking to our values, and he is still a young player. He is still in a phase where he needs to needs to develop and therefore we really try to help him."

That patience frustrated fans and likely Kostoulas himself, but he can thank his manager for the platform that has prompted his impressive form now.