They claim that £3m doesn’t get you much in the current game. In fact, they say the same about figures as high as £10m or £15m. It’s true, the prices that even average players are being bought and sold for these days are staggering. In some parts of the world, over £40m can be spent on a player who hardly even plays.
Thankfully, there are always exceptions that prove the rule. It’s fitting that one of those exceptions wears a Brighton & Hove Albion shirt, representing one of the best clubs in the business at getting maximum value.
Pascal Gross, a player who has been setting records and reaching milestones since he arrived on the south coast, is now in his sixth season at the Amex. Like fine wine, he seems to only improve with age. He recently made it to Germany’s national squad, sharing the field with players like Toni Kroos from Real Madrid and Ilkay Gundogan from Barcelona. Does he look out of place? Not at all.
His stats this season are once again impressive, leading in various categories for Brighton.
Then, naturally, there is the headline statistic: He not only leads all of his colleagues in assists (10), but he is also joint-top of the entire Premier League with Kieran Trippier and Ollie Watkins in that specific category. Set pieces are always beneficial, but Gross is a creative force regardless of them.
“The people… they fail to grasp the level of Pascal,” manager Roberto De Zerbi humorously remarked back in December. “He is underrated. His confidence is growing after playing for the national team. I hope to have him as a teammate in Brighton for a long time.”
Throughout Brighton’s time as a Premier League team, captain Lewis Dunk has been the core of the team; this has been “his” Brighton squad. However, Gross’ increased impact on this version, partly due to his compatibility with De Zerbi’s style, has elevated him to a status close to Dunk’s.
The game revolves around him. He orchestrates a midfield that dominates possession and territory, averaging 59.8% of the ball per league game – the second-highest figure, only behind Manchester City themselves. He and Dunk are in the top three in the league for total touches per game, trailing only Rodri.
It’s remarkable to think that all of this stems from a modest £3m signing from Ingolstadt, a move that was met with apathy or even disregard from the broader world when it occurred. Gross serves as living proof that value exists – if only you bother to seek it out.