A loan move to West Ham United from Brighton and Hove Albion for Amario Cozier-Duberry – perhaps with an obligation to buy in the case of automatic promotion – is one which may suit all parties down to the ground.
West Ham are long-time admirers of the former Arsenal kid. Cozier-Duberry played regularly against the Hammers while in the Gunners reserves, including in the 2023 FA Youth Cup final when Gideon Kodua captained his side to victory over Jack Wilshere’s U18s.
Cozier-Duberry and Kodua would go head-to-head in England’s third tier last season too.
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While Kodua earned himself a permanent move to Luton Town – Wilshere’s Luton Town, funnily enough – Cozier-Duberry racked up ten goals and 13 assists on loan at a Bolton Wanderers side who ended their seven-year exile from the Championship via the play-offs.
According to The Athletic, West Ham United are likely to be at the front of the queue if parent club Brighton are willing to let Cozier-Duberry leave again, be it a loan or a permanent arrangement.
Brighton to West Ham United could benefit Amario Cozier-Duberry
Brighton-based The Argus believe that no decision has been made yet regarding Cozier-Duberry’s future at The Amex. Yet as Brighton attempt to extend a contract with two years remaining, reading between the lines, the feeling is that Fabian Hurzeler’s side would ideally like to let Cozier-Duberry try his hand at a higher level.
And this is where West Ham could come in.
Following the success of Carl Rushworth at Coventry City last season, Brighton may be tempted to repeat the trick.
Frank Lampard’s Championship champions have already seen a £20 million bid for the Brighton-owned goalkeeper rejected. The Seagulls are holding out for £25 million. After Rushworth racked up 17 clean sheets for the second-tier winners, they are likely to get it too.
“We always say that success looks different for every loan player. With both Carl and Amario [at Coventry and Bolton] we genuinely felt they had the potential for something special,” former captain turned loans and pathways manager Gordon Greer tells the Brighton website.
“The way they’ve performed and what they’ve achieved is a real testament to their quality and their dedication. They deserve every bit of credit coming their way.
“Of course, not every loan unfolds like that, and we never lose sight of that reality. But whatever the outcome, our focus is always on individual progress and personal development. Every loan journey has its challenges, but within every challenge there’s an opportunity to grow and that’s what drives everything we do.”
Carl Rushworth’s Coventry loan is the benchmark for Cozier-Duberry
If Brighton do not feel that Cozier-Duberry is quite ready for a role in Hurzeler’s first-team, a successful loan spell at West Ham in the division below would not only see the England Under-20 international take his development to the next level, it could also see Brighton bag another Rushworth-esque windfall in excess of £25 million.
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In a Venn diagram including left-footed right-wingers linked with West Ham and left-footed right-wingers likened to Bukayo Saka, Cozier-Duberry sits right in the middle.
Abdul Fatawu being the other.
Leicester City talisman Fatawu reportedly on West Ham’s radar, too, alongside other widemen such as Watford’s Nestory Irankunda, Everton’s Dwight McNeil, free-agent Solly March and Arsenal’s Reiss Nelson.
“[Cozier-Duberry] reminds me of Bukayo Saka,” the aforementioned Wilshere told The Athletic. “He plays in the same position as him. He needs to get better with his decision-making, like Bukayo did, but he’s definitely exciting.
“In some moments, he’s unplayable. You give him the ball and he can make things happen. You can set up a team and have a gameplan but, when you’ve got individuals like that, you’ve got a chance.”
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