Bart Verbruggen could be next to quit Brighton for Chelsea as new details emerge

Bart Verbruggen could well be next on the Chelsea hit list after his brilliant performance for Brighton as they beat Coventry City 5-0 on Sunday.

Charalampos Kostoulas, Malick Yalcouye, Pascal Gross, Lewis Dunk and Yasin Ayari all scored for the visitors, in a rout for Fabian Hurzeler's side.

The Seagulls went ahead in the first half and extended their advantage after the break, but it was Taiwo Awoniyi's red card which saw the goals really start to rain down.

Coventry had their chances, however, and Verbruggen was required on more than one occasion to keep Brighton's sheet clean.

The 24-year-old attracted interest in the summer transfer window and has just two years remaining on his contract, with decision time soon approaching.

Chelsea remain always a potential destination for departing Brighton stars, and Emi Martinez's poor start at Stamford Bridge could well open the door.

Bart Verbruggen's superb display

Perhaps what is most impressive about Verbruggen is his age. The 24-year-old is perhaps six or seven years away from his prime, but is already excellent.

Brighton signed the shot-stopper from Anderlecht in 2023, and he has since become the Netherlands' number one as well.

There are still mistakes in his game - his mix-up with Mats Wieffer against Chelsea led to their opening goal - but they are becoming more infrequent.

Verbruggen was brilliant against Coventry on Sunday, making six saves and facing 1.93 expected goals on target without conceding.

It may well have been a very different game, had he not made two excellent saves to deny Jack Rudoni and Frank Onyeka early on.

The goalkeeper also completed four of his attempted long balls, and did not misplace a single short pass throughout the afternoon.

Brighton to Chelsea pathway to continue

The list of players and staff members to have moved from Brighton to Chelsea in recent years is, laughably, too long to cover.

The most accurate number since BlueCo took over the Blues appears to be 16, with Danny Welbeck being the latest to make the move this summer.

The Blues are always on the prowl for more Brighton talent, and Verbruggen may well their next target.

The goalkeeper's contract situation certainly makes it clear that discussions will have to be had over his future in the coming year.