Who is Tariq Lamptey? The Brighton star wanted by Arsenal and Man Utd

Cameron Smith

3 Dec 2021 17:30 GMT
8 min read

Who is Tariq Lamptey? The Brighton star wanted by Arsenal and Everton — © ProShots

A product of Chelsea’s famous Cobham academy, Tariq Lamptey left the Blues in 2020 in search of first-team football. And at Brighton, he has found it.

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With Reece James establishing himself at Stamford Bridge, Lamptey was never likely to make a serious dent into the Chelsea first-team, and unlike many youngsters who get drawn into the vicious cycle of their loan system, Lamptey moved to the south coast for just £3 million.

He has played just 1,863 minutes of senior football in his young career, but he is already being heavily linked with a move away from Graham Potter’s Brighton, and to bigger and better things.

What position does Tariq Lamptey play in?

The talented 20-year-old is a right-back by trade, using his speed and low centre of gravity to bypass opponents with ease.

Due to his attacking nature, he suits Brighton’s 3-4-3 system, and playing as a right-wing-back relieves some defensive pressure and allows him to push into the final third.

He also played as a right winger for Chelsea’s academy, but whilst he can fill in there, he’s better slightly further back as either a wing-back or traditional full-back.

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How good is Tariq Lamptey?

Lamptey has established himself as a key component of one of the most exciting teams to watch in the Premier League, and to do that at just 20 is impressive.

Standing at just 1.64m tall, he is one of the shortest players in the Premier League, meaning he often loses aerial battles, but he more than makes up for it with his quick recovery speed and immense close control.

After an impressive first season with the Seagulls, Lamptey was forced to sit out the start of his second campaign with a nasty hamstring injury. However, he has since made a full recovery and recently returned to a starting role for Graham Potter’s side.

Lampety is equally capable of defending effectively as he is attacking with purpose, and that’s vital for a modern day full-back.

Former manager Frank Lampard said of Lamptey: “He has pace, a low centre of gravity and can go by people,” and it’s clear that he’s one of the biggest talents in England right now.

What clubs are interested in Tariq Lamptey?

Lamptey has only been at Brighton for around 18 months so they won’t be in any rush to sell their right-back, but there has been speculation of a move away already.

The summer transfer window brought with it numerous reports linking the player with a return to London, as Arsenal considered a move for the player.

Lamptey has been seen as an ideal replacement for Hector Bellerin and with the Spaniard showing no signs of returning to the club, the Brighton defender may be a smart solution to their problems. However, that was before the signing of right-back Takehiro Tomiyasu.

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Everton were also named as a potential suitor at the time but the Merseyside club seem far too cash strapped to afford such an in-form Premier League player.

Perhaps a more natural fit for Lamptey could come in the form of Manchester United, who have recently been linked with the right back after a report from Fichajes suggested that the young player could be signed to provide competition to Aaron Wan-Bissaka in Ralf Rangnick’s squad.

Should Lamptey continue performing as he has done for Brighton, it seems inevitable that a bidding war between Arsenal and Man Utd is set to commence in the summer or perhaps even sooner.