Percy Tau has been hailed as a "gifted forward" with a "very good left foot" as Albion try to complete the signing of the Lion King of South African football.

And off the pitch he is a "marketing dream".

South African football expert Rob Delport has revealed to The Argus why the Seagulls have targeted the diminutive 24-year-old from Mamelodi Sundowns.

Delport, a journalist for national broadcaster SABC, got to know Tau - which translates to lion in parts of South Africa - during a documentary in his role as head scout for the Football Manager game.

The Seagulls are working towards securing a work permit and landing the 5ft 7.5ins attacking threat for a South African record fee of around £2.8 million, rising to £3.6 million.

Tau may be slight of frame but he has a gigantic, award-scooping reputation in South Africa, gained since Sundowns converted him from a winger.

Delport (below) told The Argus: "Tau is a technically gifted forward, small and speedy, with great vision and composure, and a very good left foot.

The Argus: "He has come to the fore as a small forward but he started out as a winger. He made his debut a few seasons ago in that position but never quite broke through.

"During a loan spell at Witbank Spurs in our second tier three seasons ago, he was used up front and the rest is history.

"He came back to Mamelodi Sundowns and took the league (and continent) by storm, scoring and assisting."

Tau is South Africa's reigning player of the season after top scoring in their Premier League with 11 goals.

Delport said: "He is definitely the most highly rated player of his generation in the country and walked away with most of the individual accolades at the end of season awards. He is probably the star of South African football for the past two seasons.

"But it's not just in South Africa. Tau is also highly rated on the continent as Sundowns are one of the best teams in Africa and have excelled in the CAF Champions League (winners in 2016) and Tau has been nominated for individual continental awards."

The South Africa Premier League carries nothing like the kudos of the Premier League in England but Tau has thrived playing for one of the domestic powerhouses.

Delport said: "First and foremost the PSL remains a domestic league, not a global league, with 80 per cent of players being South African. But the standard can be pretty good, albeit not consistent.

"Sundowns are easily better than the average team standard-wise. They can afford to buy the best players available and do just that.

"They have a squad of African stars (and a few South Americans).

"Despite that obstacle and with competition from top international footballers, Tau climbed through the ranks and made a starting berth in one of the most competitive positions his own."

Off the field, Tau's glowing reputation has not been diminished by a fall-out with Sundowns over Albion's interest.

He did not turn up for pre-season training after he was promised a move to Europe and felt Sundowns were blocking his path.

An apology to the club president from Tau and his agent has cleared the way for a move to the Amex, subject to the work permit issue being resolved.

Delport said: "He comes from a family of footballers and a few of his brothers have also played in the pro ranks in South Africa. Unfortunately one of them, Mogau Tshehla, passed away earlier this year.

"Percy has excelled the most and changed his family’s life, buying his single mother of eight a house with his first few pay cheques.

"A soft-spoken, charming youngster, he’s been a marketing dream for both Sundowns and the league, featuring in dozens of campaigns with his smile.

"He's the type of player that young kids love. He's also given a lot back to his community and kids in South Africa as a whole."