Transfer news: Brighton plot raid for the 'ultimate' West Ham and Aston Villa target - plus Chelsea £30m bid latest

Brighton have been linked with a summer move for Argentina international defender Facundo Medina.

According to Sport Witness, Brighton are keen on the RC Lens centre back who has been described as the ‘ultimate ball-playing’ defender. It's certainly a style that would fit in Roberto De Zerbi's remit at Brighton but the Seagulls do reportedly face competition from Aston Villa and West Ham. Medina, 24, is considered one of the best defenders in League One and is contracted with Lens until 2026.

De Zerbi has stressed the importance of improving the Albion squad as they prepare for Europa League for the first time in their history. The Brighton defence impressed last term as they secured a record sixth place but skipper Lewis Dunk is currently injured, while Adam Webster and Joel Veltman both had injury problems last term.

Albion could also be without talented young Chelsea defender Levi Colwill who dazzled during his season loan on the south coast. Brighton remain keen to make the move permanent but so far Chelsea are not in a rush to sell and reportedly rejected a £30m bid from Albion.

The intentions of Chelsea – who appointed former Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino as their new head coach – remain unclear. Pochettino needs to trim a bloated squad but Colwill could well remain a huge part of his future plans.

Brighton are however this week set to complete the free transfer signings of James Milner and Mahmoud Dahoud from Liverpool and Borussia Dortmund respectively. The duo are set to join Brazilian Joao Pedro who arrived for a record £30m fee from Watford.

It’s a vital transfer window for Albion as they look to improve their squad despite losing Alexis Mac Allister to Liverpool for around £35m, while Moises Caicedo continues to be linked with a move to Arsenal and Chelsea.