Brighton are set to bid farewell to long-serving winger Solly March with his contract set to expire this summer.
March has been on the books at Brighton since 2011 when he joined the club as a scholar following a spell in non-league with Lewes and was instrumental in the club's ascent into the Premier League.
The popular wide man received a framed shirt to mark his 300th appearance in the Seagulls' final day defeat to Manchester United at the Amex Stadium, but March is set to move on as a free agent at the end of June.
March has been restricted to just 23 appearances in all competitions across the last three seasons due to an ACL injury he sustained in October 2023. Returning to action in December 2024, March was sidelined again four months later due to associated issues with his knee.
Following a torturous 28 months, March is eager to play regular first-team football again after finishing the last two months of Brighton's campaign unscathed.
The 31-year-old is not short of suitors in the Premier League and Championship, and we've assessed which teams are in the frame to secure his signature.
Everton
Everton have been credited with a strong interest in March and David Moyes is a long-term admirer of the winger.
The Glaswegian was eager to bolster his wide options during the previous summer transfer window and that's set to be the case again amid uncertainty around Jack Grealish's future upon the expiration of his loan spell.
March slots perfectly into Moyes' recruitment criteria of an experienced and versatile operator, although there remains obvious doubts concerning the level that March is functioning at after nearly two-and-a-half years on the sidelines.
Coventry City
Championship victors Coventry City are scouring the market for proven Premier League experience which they hope will enable them to replicate the success of Sunderland and Leeds United in avoiding relegation.
Sky Blues owner Doug King will not be throwing around the millions that Sunderland spent and there will be an emphasis on shrewd recruitment, so March's availability on a free is enticing.
Frank Lampard has an exciting assortment of wingers in the shape of Ephron Mason-Clark and Tatsuhiro Sakamoto, but with Romain Esse returning to Crystal Palace following the end of his loan spell, the Coventry boss will be eager to strengthen his options in the wide areas.
Ipswich Town
Ipswich Town are also back in the big time after achieving automatic promotion and Kieran McKenna will be determined to ensure their stay in the Premier League is longer than their previous brief visit.
From a March perspective, working under McKenna could help him to recapture the levels he showcased pre-injury with the Northern Irish tactician providing a platform where his wingers can take on defenders in 1v1 situations as the rest of the team overloads the central areas.
For Ipswich, March's Premier League experience could prove invaluable, while his versatility will no doubt be a massive benefit to McKenna's squad.
Newcastle United
A big summer is on the horizon for Newcastle United following a bitterly disappointing campaign where the club finished 12th and missed out on European qualification for next season.
Failure to finish in the top eight may have ramifications on the future of several key players, but Eddie Howe will be eager to add greater depth across numerous positions and March has all of the attributes that the Magpies boss is looking for.
Newcastle are currently preparing a contingency plan for Anthony Gordon's proposed transfer to Bayern Munich and March would provide adequate cover to any new recruit on the left wing.
Fulham
There's great uncertainty concerning Marco Silva's future beyond this summer with the Portuguese coach out of contract at Fulham and Benfica lurking.
If Silva remains, then March is the type of player who would be a major asset to the Cottagers boss with his ability to function in multiple positions.
A lack of squad depth has cost Fulham over the course of the season with results deteriorating in the latter stages of the campaign once again.
