Sources: Brighton agree deal to sign Jacob Slater
Brighton have agreed a deal with Preston North End for defender Jacob Slater, sources have told Football Insider.
The 18-year-old left-back has been highlighted by Brighton scouts as an exciting prospect after impressing in Preston’s youth setup.
The Seagulls are keen to bolster their youth ranks this summer and have moved quickly to agree a deal with Preston for Slater.
Slater has risen through the ranks of Preston’s academy in recent years after joining the club aged 11, and he played a key role in the Under-19s double-winning campaign in 2021/22.
In the 2022/23 campaign, Slater was handed his senior debut against Huddersfield Town by manager Ryan Lowe in August 2022.
Following his cameo against the Terriers in the Carabao Cup, Slater was named on the bench in a Championship clash against Luton Town and then handed a second senior appearance against Premier League side Wolves.
He is viewed as one of the most exciting prospects coming through at Deepdale, but Brighton have struck a deal to bring him to the south coast.
Following the departure of Marc Cucurella to Chelsea, Roberto De Zerbi has mostly deployed Pervis Estupinan at left-back at the Amex Stadium but has found that his squad lacks depth in that position.
While Slater’s arrival isn’t expected to immediately improve Brighton’s starting lineup, the Seagulls have proved to be one of the most efficient teams in promoting youth players to their senior squad.
Evan Ferguson, Aaron Connolly, Ben White and Robert Sanchez are all recent examples of players who made their way into the first-team squad from Brighton’s impressive academy setup.
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