Life comes at you fast somtimes. Back in June, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall was all set to have a medical to become a Brighton player… until a sudden change of heart saw him turn around at the last minute and opt to join Chelsea instead.
Six months and five Premier League substitute appearances totalling 55 minutes later and Chelsea have made Dewsbury-Hall available for transfer in January. Albion hearts will bleed for the fate Dewsbury-Hall has suffered at Stamford Bridge… not.
Brighton had been chasing Dewsbury-Hall from Leicester for months prior to the Chelsea hijack. A £20 million bid was rejected last January by the Foxes.
But with concerns over PSR compliance rife around the King Power Stadium in the summer, the Albion returned with a renewed offer. £25 million plus Jakub Moder.
Leicester accepted. Moder headed to the East Midlands for a medical. Dewsbury-Hall likewise made his merry way to the American Express Elite Football Performance Centre at Lancing.
The swap deal was virtually when done when Chelsea’s transfer policy under Todd Boehly of Copy Whatever Brighton Are Doing kicked in.
A late bid from the Blues subsequently went in for Dewsbury-Hall. The player himself looked at the money rather than considering how he was going to get into a Chelsea side whose midfield and number 10 options included Moises Caicedo, Enzo Fernandez, Romeo Lavia, Cole Palmer and Christopher Nkunku.
Had Dewsbury-Hall instead joined Brighton, it would presumably have meant the Albion not signing either Matt O’Riley or Georginio Rutter.
O’Riley has a winning goal in a comeback victory over four-in-a-row champions Manchester City to his name. Rutter meanwhile is already immensely popular with Albion fans.
He has scored twice and has two assists from 14 appearances – the sort of game time Dewsbury-Hall can only dream of.
What might have been had Dewsbury-Hall chosen the best move for his career rather than his bank balance?
Dewsbury-Hall is not the first player to find out the hard way that the grass is not always greener if you turn down Brighton at the 11th hour.
Remember Alex Pritchard? The Spurs midfielder was set to become the Albion’s record signing for £6 million in the summer of 2016.
But then Norwich City made an offer, Pritchard turned his car around on the M25 and instead headed to Carrow Road.
Pritchard claimed at the time he made the decision due to a traffic jam. A traffic jam which meant, rather than be part of Chris Hughton’s promotion winning 2016-17 side, a journeyman career reads Norwich, Sunderland, Birmingham and Sivasspor.
As for Dewsbury-Hall, Chelsea are open to a loan or permanent transfer if any club can match the £30 million Boehly wastefully forked out in June.
Brighton have been linked but that is just lazy speculation based on past interest. There is no way the Albion go back in for a player who so publicly rejected them six months earlier.
And that is before you take into account the midfield options Fabian Hurzeler has, now further strengthened by the signing of Diego Gomez.
A return to Leicester on loan seems most likely, meaning Dewsbury-Hall can enjoy being part of a Premier League relegation battle.
He can then return to Stamford Bridge in the summer, knowing he is surplus to requirements and facing an uncertain future.
Lol.
