'We want players to come to Brighton and thrive and enjoy the city'
- Published
Brighton are third in the Premier League with one of the highest-scoring teams in Europe.
To the uninitiated it might seem logical that the Seagulls must have spent big, investing in players ready for the first team.
Yet Brighton are, along with Everton, one of only two clubs to record a profit in transfer spending over the past five years.
It is a team full of young players, testament to the club's data-led recruitment and development strategy.
But how do they do it?
"We have a really clear philosophy around how we can be competitive in arguably the most challenging league in the world," Brighton sporting director Mike Cave told BBC Sport.
Brighton use analytics and data as their primary method of tracking and identifying players.
Through club owner Tony Bloom's Jamestown Analytics, the performance of pretty much any player - or coach - who is in a professional league can be monitored.
"It helps us to identify talent from around the world in quite an efficient way," Cave said. "That allows us then to move quite quickly in what is a really competitive transfer market."
Brighton have shown - from Alexis Mac Allister to Carlos Baleba - that they can be a stepping stone for an ambitious player. And that reputation is crucial in a competitive market.
"The key thing is being able to demonstrate to young players that we have a plan," Cave added.
"Depending on the age, that can be over one year or several years. Hopefully, that leads to playing in our senior team.
"That track record of being able to nurture young talent in different ways plays a big part in why a number of players agree to come to Brighton."
For Cave, "arguably the most critical part" is integrating players into the city and the culture of English life.
"We can have all the data, all the character backgrounds, context and information that's available," he said.
"But, ultimately, when that individual and their family arrives in Brighton, how we onboard them, how we embed them, how we make them feel like it's their home all contributes to them being the best version of themselves on the football pitch.
"We want players to come to Brighton and thrive and enjoy the city, enjoy the football club."
