Zamora Surprised No One Signed Yasin Ayari This Summer

Bobby Zamora has seen stars come and go at Brighton. He knows what the next big thing looks like. So when he says he’s “surprised” nobody came for Yasin Ayari this summer, people at the top end of European football should probably listen.

Because this one feels familiar. Very familiar.

From £3.5m punt to Premier League force

Ayari arrived quietly in January 2023, a £3.5 million signing from AIK, another uncut stone wheeled into Brighton’s now-famous polishing machine. No fanfare, no grand unveiling, just another clever deal from a club that has turned the transfer market into an art form.

The Swede didn’t walk straight into the Premier League spotlight. He went the long way round. Loan spells at Coventry and Blackburn toughened him up, gave him minutes, gave him scars. That grounding mattered. By the time he truly landed in the English top flight, he looked ready for it.

Last season he delivered four goals and three assists for the Seagulls and carried that form into the World Cup with his country. This term, he has already hit the ground running again, driving a Brighton side that sits third after five games and playing like a man who has no intention of stopping there.

Under the radar, but not for long

Inside the club, there’s no confusion about his level. Zamora has watched him at close quarters over the last 18 months and can’t quite believe the market stayed quiet.

“He's incredible as well, seeing him for the last year-and-a-half up close and in training and how good he is. I'm actually surprised that nobody came in this summer,” the Brighton legend told GOAL, speaking in association with BetWright Premier League betting.

This is not the language usually reserved for a squad player or a promising kid. Zamora talks about Ayari as one who “sort of goes under the radar,” but stresses what becomes obvious when you see him every day: “he's got real, real talent. And again, at such a young age. There's only really bright things for that kid.”

The pattern is hard to ignore. Brighton sign a young talent for a modest fee. They develop him. He explodes. Then the sharks circle.

• Moises Caicedo
• Alexis Mac Allister
• Marc Cucurella
• Carlos Baleba

– all part of a production line that has brought huge money into the Amex. Ayari has the look of the next one being wheeled towards the departure gate, whether Brighton like it or not. Leading clubs across Europe are already watching, tracking his numbers, weighing up the timing.

Zamora, for one, is convinced that if Ayari keeps going as he is, the bids will come.

“He's an exciting one and one that I think if he continues on the path that he has been this season, yeah, I think somebody will come and try and take him as well.”

Brighton’s contract race against time

For now, Ayari is Brighton’s to enjoy – and to protect.

His current deal runs only until the summer of 2027, with an option for a further year. That gives the club some leverage, but not endless comfort. They know how this works. Let a player of this profile edge too close to the end of his contract and the balance of power shifts quickly.

Brighton are already trying to get ahead of that. A new contract is on the table, and head coach Fabian Hurzeler is clear about how highly he rates the midfielder, even if he is careful not to conduct negotiations in public.

“You always want to solve these things internally first before we go to the public,” the German said, choosing his words but not hiding his admiration. “Generally, what I can say is that Yasin is a great player. He made a great development with us through the last two years.”

That development is not just technical. Hurzeler keeps circling back to Ayari’s growth as a person, not just a player.

“He has grown as a player and as a personality. He takes more responsibility. So I'm very pleased. I'm very happy to work with this kind of player. I'm very happy to work especially with him and hopefully he stays for a longer time.”

Engine on and off the ball

The modern midfielder cannot just do one thing. Hurzeler knows it, and he sees in Ayari the profile that top clubs crave: intensity without the ball, composure with it.

“Yasin, he has qualities in possession, he has qualities out of possession. He also has grown as a personality. So regarding taking ownership, he can contribute with his effort,” he explained.

That word again: ownership. At Brighton, responsibility is spread, not hoarded. Hurzeler has built a culture where every squad member is reminded of their role in the club’s rise.

“I think it's very important that we understand that everyone in our squad has a responsibility for our achievements, and everyone is important, and that's what we always try to emphasise. And then express yourself within your personality, within your quality, and that's also what I ask from Yasin.”

Ayari, still in the early chapters of his Premier League story, is already answering that call. Goals, assists, work rate, maturity – the package is starting to look expensive.

Brighton have seen this film before. The only real question now is not whether the elite will come knocking, but how long the Seagulls can keep hold of their latest gem before another record fee lands on the chairman’s desk.