Preston, West Brom and Derby should be on red alert to Leicester City situation | OneFootball

Tom Watson's time on loan at Leicester City hasn't gone to plan at all so far

One of the signings of the summer in League One, if not the whole EFL, this past transfer window was the loan deal which saw Tommy Watson drop down to League One to spend the year at Leicester City.

The then-teenage Sunderland academy graduate signed for Brighton and Hove Albion — a side famed for their player development — for £10 million back in April 2025.

He signed off his time with the Black Cats by scoring the late goal to send them into the Premier League in the play-off final. That was less than a year ago, but it feels like an age has passed since then.

The 20-year-old was kept on the fringes of the Brighton fold in the first half of last season, excelling in the EFL Cup and making six sporadic Premier League appearances. He was loaned out to promotion-chasing Millwall for the second half of the campaign, but barely made an impact.

Many expected Tommy Watson's next steps this summer to still be in the Championship

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With Alex Neil almost set with the outfielders he had in the midst of an unexpected top-two push, Watson was reduced to just bench minutes at The Den, and while it was for one of the better sides in the Championship, it wouldn't have aided in his development.

That being said, the wideman still has plenty of ability to be a key part of a top-end Championship side, and plenty of critics expected him to land back in the second tier for the entire season this year.

He wasn't without interest, too, with the likes of Preston North End, Derby County, West Brom and West Ham United linked with Watson. Premier League new boys Hull City were amongst those rumours, too, as were recently relegated League One outfit Leicester City.

While Leicester were favourites to steamroll the third tier in just their second campaign at the level, and easily still had the finances of some Championship sides, their links alongside those established second-tier clubs seemed far-fetched at the time.

In the end, though, those links were more than legit, and the 20-year-old penned a season-long loan deal at the King Power Stadium, much to the surprise of those who easily see him as a Championship-standard player.

Tommy Watson's time at Leicester City has yet to get going so far

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Given his potential to be a top-flight level winger, Watson spending the campaign at League One level, to many, would have almost felt too easy for him. As it happens, though, he hasn't been allowed to prove that regularly.

As we head into the first international break of the season, the 20-year-old has come off the bench in six of the seven League One outings so far, starting just the goalless draw at MK Dons in late August.

His only starts outside of that were against Ipswich Town in the EFL Cup second round and in their 6-1 win over Fulham's under-21s in the Jersey Mike's Trophy — both games saw Foxes boss Russell Martin rotate.

Given he was labelled as a massive coup for the level - similar to how Cardiff City were able to loan Chelsea starlet Omari Kellyman last season - no one would have expected him to be a mere bench option this early into his tenure at the King Power Stadium.

Brighton may end up reviewing Tom Watson's situation if he continues to ride the bench at Leicester City

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Watson's per-90 stats in third-tier action are among the best in terms of left-wingers in League One, meaning that, in the little time he has on the pitch, he's still making an impact.

According to FotMob, he's had the most touches in the opposition's box per 90 amongst players in his position, has created 3.65 chances and 1.62 big chances, while also taking 1.22 shots on target per 90.

His one start against MK Dons saw him create the joint-most chances in the game, have the most touches in the opposition box, take the most shots and complete all three dribbles he attempted in the game, too, in what was a good performance.

Evidently, he's performing well when given the chance, but isn't being given enough of a chance to showcase that consistently. If the lack of starts continues, surely Brighton will be considering a recall?

Brighton can relocate Tommy Watson to the Championship in January, rectifying their decision in the summer

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While it's arguable that chopping and changing a young player's location every six months can be detrimental to their progression, so is a lack of meaningful game time, and Watson's potential is clearly not being capitalised on at Leicester right now.

The 20-year-old is showcasing his qualities in the short amount of time he has on the pitch, and while it would be an unconventional decision to relocate a player to a higher level after not making an impact in the one below, it's a decision Brighton can choose to take here.

Watson is, clearly, someone who can make an impact in a second-tier side, hence his loan move to one of the best teams in the league last January. He just needs the right club to harness that.

Preston, especially, rued not getting a natural left-winger in the summer, and could be on the hunt for one in January. If Watson becomes available, you can guarantee he'll have suitors at Deepdale and across the rest of the second tier, too.