Brighton have reportedly dismissed an offer of £54.42million for Kaoru Mitoma from Al-Nassr.
The Saudi Arabian side, who have Cristiano Ronaldo on their books on a £168m-per-year contract, intend to come back with an improved bid.
Mitoma has been an important player for Brighton over the past three seasons and his deal runs until 2027.
Brighton are pushing for European football and as such will not want to let go of a starting figure unless an outstanding offer comes in.
The BBC reports that Brighton’s chiefs gave short shrift to the bid from Al-Nassr, one of the four clubs controlled by the Saudi sovereign wealth fund.
Mitoma has returned to scoring ways this month, bagging one against Ipswich and another against Manchester United, also setting up Yankuba Minteh in the 3-1 win at Old Trafford.
Brighton’s Kaoru Mitoma was the subject of a reported £54.42m bid from Saudi side Al-Nassr
Brighton have reportedly turned down the offer but may have to brace themselves for another
Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the stars who plays for Al-Nassr – and is paid £168m per year
He has endured dry spells but his debut season in 2022-23 proved he can be an effective contributor as he netted 10 times.
The Seagulls signed Mitoma in 2021 from Japanese club Kawasaki Frontale before loaning him out to Belgians Royal Union Saint-Gilloise for a season.
As a former Olympian and 26-time Japan international, he is a big name back home and carries strong commercial value for the club.
He has made 92 appearances for Brighton and scored 18 goals.
Al-Nassr’s raid on the Premier league also includes Aston Villa star Jhon Duran.
A £64.5million deal between the clubs has been struck, personal terms are said to be agreed, and a move away from the Premier League looks close.
They are no strangers to welcoming former Premier League stars, with Ronaldo, Sadio Mane, Aymeric Laporte part of their squad.
