Who is Mahmoud Dahoud? An analysis of how the Borussia Dortmund midfielder will fit into Brighton team

The midfielder is out of contract with the German outfit after six-and-a-half years at the club and the Seagulls are set to bring him in for the start of the 2023/2024 season.

Albion boss Roberto De Zerbi all-but-confirmed the deal in his press conference before the Newcastle game, saying: “I know very well Dahoud, but it’s not official, no? We will speak about him later in the next press conference.

"It’s not a secret, I like him and I would like to work with him. You can see him on WyScout or YouTube! He’s not my player yet and if you want I can explain to you about Gilmour, Mac Allister, Ayari, but other players I don’t want to speak.”

The Syrian-born Dahoud was once one of the most exciting prospects in German football. A break-out 2015/2016 season with Borussia Mönchengladbach saw the German midfielder announce himself on the European stage, helping the North Rhine side qualify for the Champions League with a number of stand-out performances, the best of which saw a standing ovation from the Eintracht Frankfurt supporters, after he grabbed a goal and an assist in a 5-1 away win.

Scoring five goals and assisting nine that season, Dahoud’s technical abilities shone bright in André Schubert’s side. Operating as a deep-lying playmaker, the elegant midfielder would lead games by coolly picking up the ball from his defenders and playing quality passes – both long and short – into his wide-men or strikers.

Whilst lacking the athleticism of someone such as Moises Caicedo, Dahoud’s use of his low centre of gravity and technical ability enabled him to get out of high-presses and tight spaces.

He was also a good reader of the game, averaging 2.7 tackles and 1.8 interceptions per game in the Bundesliga that season.

Once Dahoud rejected a new contract from Gladbach in the summer of 2016, the European heavyweights began to eye-up a move for the defensive midfielder.

Chelsea, Manchester City and Tottenham were all rumoured to be keeping tabs on his development, whilst Jurgen Klopp was said to be a big admirer of his fellow countrymen's work and keen to work with him at Liverpool.

But Dahoud chose to stay in Germany and was signed by then-Borussia Dortmund manager Thomas Tuchel in 2017 to replace İlkay Gündoğan, after the influential midfielder had left to join Manchester City the year prior.

Dortmund's sporting director Michael Zorc said of his £12m signing: "Mo Dahoud is a highly-talented and exciting central midfield player who we have been keeping very close tabs on for several years now. He has already proven that he can cut it at the highest level."

Unfortunately, a number of injuries and inconsistent performances, combined with the re-signing of Emre Can and meteoric rise of Jude Bellingham, meant Dahoud regularly found himself on the bench for Die Schwarzgelben.

The 27-year-old has only started four league games all season, leading to his release this summer, but there is still a lot to give from this technically-proficient middle man.

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De Zerbi demands a lot from his central midfielders on the ball and Dahoud would be well-suited to playing the number six role in his Albion 4-2-3-1, perhaps acting as the replacement to either Alexis Mac Allister or Moises Caicedo.

His agility may catch him out in the frantic world of English football, but with his Champions League and International (2 caps for Germany) experience, Brighton could have unearthed another gem, adding an extra layer of steel to a squad which could be fighting on four fronts next season.