Graham Potter has explained why selling a star player can help Albion – if the deal is right.

The Seagulls have forged a reputation for holding on to key players in recent years.

That will become increasingly difficult if the size of the offers received and the clubs making them increases.

But Potter believes the right sale followed by reinvestment could be the best way to ensure Albion progress.

Yves Bissouma, Tariq Lamptey and Ben White appear the most likely to attract big offers.

Adam Webster could also be considered in that sort of bracket.

And there is every chance Alexis Mac Allister and Robert Sanchez will have attracted interest this season.

Potter is in no rush to see any them leave.

But he said: “In order for us to develop and grow, you have to have the confidence and ability to make a sale at the right time for the right price.

“Everybody knows the football pyramid is what it is. It isn’t anything to be afraid of, it’s something to be proud of.

“But what you have to ensure is you carry on improving, otherwise it has a negative effect.

“That’s where the challenge is but, for us to move forward, it is something we have to understand as a club.

“Otherwise, what happens is you stick with your players, the salaries increase and increase and then you’re hit with a point where your structures have gone awry.

“That process is something we have to be intelligent with but be brave enough to be able to understand why we’re doing it and always try to develop the club.”

Albion may feel they potentially have the next wave of talent already within their ranks.

They have looked to steal a march on others by bringing in Jakub Moder, Michal Karbownik and Moises Caicedo for sums well below what they see as being their eventual market value.

Bissouma arrived in England in the summer of 2018 for an undisclosed fee widely reported at £15 million.

He would attract some way in excess of that now.

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Perhaps the biggest compliment that can be paid to the Malian’s progress is that Albion let Dale Stephens go.

Potter said: “I think it’s a process of time, about him trying to be a bit more consistent on and off the pitch.

“It’s the coaching process. The longer you are with each other, the deeper it gets. The more you understand each other, then the better our team structure is, the easier it is for him to make decisions.

“The fact he has taken a bigger responsibility in the team also helps him.

“Every day we are trying to help him to understand what it means and what it takes to be a top player.

“I think he has taken some steps there and I think there is some more to come from him, which is exciting.”