19-year-old full back Tariq Lamptey departed Stamford Bridge in January, with the Hillingdon-born defender agreeing a £4 million switch to fellow Premier League outfit Brighton and Hove Albion. The sale was made with little fanfare at Chelsea’s end, despite the youngster having played with the Blues’ academy since the age of eight.
However, his early performances in a Seagulls shirt have demonstrated his undoubted Premier League potential, leaving some Chelsea fans questioning whether the club incorporated a buy-back clause into the deal.
There will be plenty of raised eyebrows following the revelation that no buy-back clause has been inserted. Lamptey shone against his former employers, creating Albion’s only goal against Lampard’s men, before winning a penalty in Brighton’s 3-0 away win at Newcastle. However, with Cesar Azpilicueta and Reece James both standing in his way of potential first-team football at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea were happy to allow Lamptey to move on, without consideration of bringing him back in the future.
A seamless transition into the Brighton XI
Seagulls boss Graham Potter has put significant faith in Tariq Lamptey since the start of the 2020/21 English Premier League (EPL) campaign. He was signed in January to avoid the circling vultures of the close season, given that Lamptey’s last Chelsea contract was due to expire in July. Potter threw Lamptey immediately into the starting line-up for the first game of the campaign against Chelsea and he was a ball of energy throughout – bombing up and down the right touchline with consummate ease.
His forward-thinking approach saw him heavily involved in the build-up to Leandro Trossard’s goal against the Blues. He also ended the game with the joint-highest number of successful dribbles made (five). The display was enough to catch the attention of experienced BBC football pundit, Garth Crooks, who promptly named Lamptey in his ‘team of the week’ for week one.
It was a similar story in Albion’s first league win of the season at Newcastle. Lamptey’s work rate, agility and speed on the ball proved unstoppable for the Magpies’ defence. Lamptey set the tone for Brighton’s comfortable 3-0 win after securing an early penalty kick following a typically lung-bursting surge into the area, before being felled by Allan Saint-Maximin. These early performances have seen Brighton’s odds for relegation lengthened to 11/2 with Betway, who specialise in in-play betting on the EPL and other European leagues.
Neal Maupay’s excitement about Lamptey’s potential
Such has been the impact of Lamptey on the Brighton team that centre forward Neal Maupay came out to the media after the Newcastle game to wax lyrical about his potential. The Frenchman said that Lamptey “doesn’t have limits” to how far he can go in the same and is already “playing at such a high level”. These comments come despite Maupay himself grabbing the headlines for scoring twice against Steve Bruce’s men to earn Brighton’s first points of the season.
It wasn’t just Lamptey’s attacking contribution that made a statement, it was his defensive capabilities too. He made more interceptions and was fouled more than any other player on the field, despite only playing just over 60 minutes of the game. In Graham Potter’s post-match press conference, he was full of praise for Lamptey’s contribution, remarking that the 19-year-old’s pace “threatens the backline” of opposition defences, whilst enabling him to undertake “his own defensive work as well”. Potter labelled Lamptey’s personality “refreshing” due to his willingness to “improve and to learn”.
Should questions be asked why Lamptey was offloaded so easily?
It is common knowledge that Blues boss Frank Lampard was keen to retain the services of Tariq Lamptey. However, he knew he could only offer limited first-team opportunities. The England U20 international had been an impressive performer throughout his time at Stamford Bridge, working his way through the youth ranks with relative ease. However, the fact that Reece James appeared to have nailed down the right back berth for the coming seasons saw him view his long-term future elsewhere.
Nevertheless, Chelsea’s academy is revered throughout Europe for its conveyor belt of young talent. Given Lampard’s faith in young players, it seems short-sighted that the Blues didn’t even attempt to allow him to compete with James for the right back jersey. The contract situation was an obvious issue for Lamptey, but the Blues would surely have been able to put together a financial package that would have incentivised Lamptey to remain a Blue for the next two-to-three years.
Instead, Chelsea’s loss is Brighton’s gain. 11 years of day-to-day development have been lost for a paltry £4 million and a three-and-a-half-year contract. Should Chelsea wish to bring him back in the coming years, you can bet your bottom dollar that he will cost multiple times the amount they received for him in January 2020.
Does Trent Alexander-Arnold have fresh competition at right back for the England squad?
The surprising rise to fame of Tariq Lamptey will not have been missed by England manager Gareth Southgate. Unfortunately for Lamptey, there is already substantial competition for the right back berth in the England senior squad. Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold is the main man for the jersey at present, although the likes of Kieran Trippier, Aaron Wan-Bissaka and his former Chelsea compatriot Reece James are all vying for a place too.
Although Lamptey has been capped at U20 level for England, the fact that he is yet to play at senior level means that Southgate could miss out on him altogether. With eligibility for the Ghanaian national team via his parents, Lamptey could opt to become a star player for a new-look Ghana. Potter believes that Lamptey’s decision to play for Ghana would not be because of the increased competition in the England squad. He believes that Lamptey is “not a person who would give up on anything”.
These are hugely complimentary words from his new manager, which would suggest that Lamptey has made a sizeable impact on everyone at the Amex Stadium in just nine months. It would be galling for Blues fans to sit and watch one of their former academy prospects go on to achieve England honours in a different EPL jersey. Despite his pint-sized frame, Lamptey is certainly someone that has the mental and physical attributes to thrive in the modern-day EPL era.
