Newcastle & Aston Villa Weighing Up January Bids for Brighton's Glenn Murray

​Brighton could allow Glenn Murray to leave the club in January, with Newcastle United and Aston Villa both considering moves for the 36-year-old.

The Seagulls are looking to bring in a new striker this month, and it's understood they will let the veteran frontman leave the club if they are successful with their recruitment. 

Murray had been a regular on the south coast since rejoining Brighton in 2016, but has made only three Premier League starts in 2019/20 due to the scintillating form of summer signing Neal Maupay.

Glenn Murray

Last year, the Englishman played in every top-flight match for ​Brighton. However, the arrival of Graham Potter as manager in the summer has led to a reduced role in the team, with his only goal this term coming in a Carabao Cup victory over Bristol Rovers.

The ​Guardian claim ​Newcastle are keen to bring in attacking reinforcements to help support Andy Carroll and Joelinton up front. The Magpies view Murray as a cheap alternative to other targets, and may offer him a six-month contract if the Seagulls sign a new forward of their own.

​Villa are in a similar position after £22m summer signing Wesley suffered a season-ending knee injury, with Michy Batshuayi ​also on Dean Smith's radar.

The Belgian's ​Chelsea teammate Olivier Giroud is another who has been linked with a move to the Midlands, the latter struggling for game-time during Frank Lampard's tenure at Stamford Bridge.

Fedor Chalov

The Blues are ​thought to be rivalling Brighton for CSKA Moscow forward Fedor Chalov, which could prove pivotal in whether the Seagulls let Murray walk away this month.

If the Russian hitman ends up at the Amex - which is looking increasingly likely - it's almost certain Murray will move on to pastures new. 

It's unclear whether he'd prefer a switch to Villa or Newcastle, and there's also the possibility that ​Nottingham Forest could secure his services. 

Murray would receive considerably more minutes if he chose to drop back down to the second tier, which may be a priority as he enters the twilight of his career, potentially handing Forest an advantage.


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Source : 90min