Percy Tau is a star in waiting for Brighton

Brighton fans will have to wait to see new signing Percy Tau in action but the South African international is a future star.

Brighton have completed a number of deals in the transfer market this season, the seventh and latest of which is South African forward Percy Tau. On Friday, the 24-year-old signed on a four-year deal from Mamelodi Sundowns for an undisclosed fee. Local media in South Africa report this amount to be in the region of R50m ($3.7 million), a domestic record for a sale of a player.

Tau arrives on the south coast of England on the back of an impressive season with Sundowns which saw him end the campaign as the league’s joint-top goalscorer and win the Player of the Season award. Brighton fans will have to wait to see their new man in action, though, as the strict work-permit regulations in the U.K mean Tau won’t be able to feature for the club just yet. Instead, he will be spending the upcoming season on loan at a European club, although his exact destination is yet to be confirmed. Club chairman Tony Bloom recently acquired a majority share in Belgium second-division side Union Saint-Gilloise which may well serve as a convenient port of call for Tau.

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Overcoming the issues surrounding the forward’s work permit will be a worthwhile endeavor for Brighton though, as he’s a player who has the potential to have a big future at the club. Over the course of the last two years, Tau has developed into one of South Africa’s best players and it was only a matter of time before a European club came calling. He was linked with a move to Monaco and an unnamed Russian club but Brighton were the successful suitors in the end.

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The question remains then as to what Tau will offer when he eventually gets to take to the field for Brighton. Mamelodi Sundowns supporters jokingly dubbed Tau the “South African Messi” but comparisons to global superstars are often harmful. He’s not at that level and probably never will be, but he’s very much his own player, and a very good one at that.

A predominantly left-footed forward, Tau is capable of playing on either wing, across the front-line or as a second striker and is accomplished at both scoring and creating goals. He boasts an affinity for flair and trickery but his greatest strengths are his blistering pace and impressive footwork in tight spaces.

Brighton were one of only seven sides to score less than a goal per game in the Premier League last season and Chris Hughton has clearly seen Tau as a possible solution in the long-run, highlighting him as a “player for the future.”  The club’s fans might not get to see much of their new man for a while but Tau is definitely a player to get excited about.