GAETAN BONG has backed Albion’s foreign policy for the Premier League – as long as existing players connect with overseas signings.

Six of Albion’s eight summer captures came from top leagues throughout Europe.

Mathew Ryan, Markus Suttner, Ezequiel Schelotto, Davy Propper, Jose Izquierdo and Pascal Gross could all feature in the squad to face Chelsea at the Amex on Saturday (12.30).

Several of the names on Albion’s striker list for the January transfer window also play on the continent.

Cameroon defender Bong, who played in France before joining Wigan on a short-term basis then the Seagulls, said: “All clubs look around Europe. The only thing is it’s hard to come and adapt in England.

“To stay with the strategy the club has you need to be clever. Mistakes can be made as well. When players come, like we have this year, and I speak with them, people sometimes don’t realise how important that is.

“I understand the difficulties, I understand the country as well because I’ve been here for three years. You need players who are going to make the connection.

“If not, I have a lot of friends who played in the Premier League and I’ve heard a lot of things. If not you will have English players and players outside.

“You can do it (buy foreign) but you always need to have this connection, if not you lose something. But I think it’s a good strategy - inside this strategy you just have deeper things (to consider).”

Bong believes the combination of a core of players that earned Albion promotion with an influx of foreign signings has worked well for Albion.

He said: “I think we have good players, working together. When one is not playing he is not moaning, he’s not fighting. This is positive. We have positive players, young ones and older as well. It’s so important to find good guys inside the dressing room.”