Derby County, Hull City and Preston North End chasing transfer deal for £10m Brighton player | OneFootball

Championship trio Derby County, Hull City, and Preston North End are eyeing a loan move in January for Brighton's Tommy Watson.

Brighton and Hove Albion prospect Tommy Watson is on the radar of Championship trio Derby County, Hull City, and Preston North End, ahead of the January transfer window, where he could make a loan switch back to the second-tier.

The 19-year-old burst onto the scene for Sunderland in 2024, with a winning brace in December against Stoke City, cementing his place in Regis Le Bris' squad for the rest of the campaign.

He signed for the Seagulls in April for a fee worth around £10m, before scoring the winning goal to send the Black Cats back to the Premier League in the Championship play-off final, but since then, he hasn't played a single league minute for his new club.

Despite starring in the EFL Cup for Brighton with a goal and three assists in two outings, the 19-year-old could be available for a loan move back to the Championship in January to aid his development.

That's according to journalist Alan Nixon via his Patreon Page on Sunday morning, who reported that Championship trio Derby, Hull, and Preston all have the teenager on their winter wishlist.

Derby County, Hull City, Preston North End chase January loan deal for Tommy Watson

Waston enjoyed his breakout campaign with Sunderland last season, etching his name into Wearside folklore with the goal that ended eight long years away from the top flight for the Black Cats.

This goal was his parting gift, as the 19-year-old had already agreed a £10m switch to the Amex Stadium in April. However, he's failed to make his mark in the Premier League squad for his new club so far.

This has seen reports emerge from Nixon on Sunday morning that Watson is catching the eye of plenty of Championship sides, who are weighing up a potential loan move for the Brighton starlet in the January transfer window.

The journalist revealed that Derby, Hull, and Preston have all had representatives watch the teenager in action against Barnsley in the EFL Cup, where he chipped in with three assists in a 6-0 thrashing of the Tykes.

Scouts from the Rams and the Tigers were said to be present at Oakwell to watch Watson, whilst Preston boss Paul Heckingbottom was seen in the stands watching the match.

With just two appearances to his name in the Blue and White stripes thus far, and none of them coming in the Premier League, Championship sides are on red alert regarding his availability come January.

However, it seems Brighton are yet to decide on their plans for Watson this season, according to Nixon. The 19-year-old wants to make it in the English top flight, but limited minutes could open the door for a temporary exit in the winter.

The youngster wasn't named in Fabian Hurzeler's squad that defeated Chelsea on Saturday, despite an exceptional midweek performance, which suggests he might have a hard time breaking through with minimal opportunities. Brighton, of course, have no shortage of options in the final third, with the likes of Yankuba Minteh and Kaoru Mitoma both firmly ahead of Watson at this moment in time.

It's clear to see Championship sides believe that Watson is a realistic target in January, having sent scouts to watch him, but it now rests on how much game time he gets between now and the transfer window.