With the injury to Michelle Agyemang and subsequent news that she will be out of action for at least the remainder of this season – Brighton & Hove Albion have a striker shaped hole in their squad that needs to be filled.

Ironically, if the club was light in any area, it was up front and without Agyemang, Carla Camacho becomes the only recognised central forward. Whilst the Seagulls may be able to come up with a strategy to see them through the calendar year – all eyes will inevitably turn to the January transfer window.

So, after a similar exercise in the summer, I am looking at who the Albion could add to boost their goalscoring prospects when the time comes. Keep in mind players in leagues that end prior to January, for example those in Scandinavia and North America, are given priority due to the transfer window occurring during their offseason.

Win Now:
Players that would (or should) make an immediate impact.

Sara Kanutte Fornes – Malmo – 23
With Felicia Schroder and Ellen Wangerheim seemingly destined for moves to elite clubs the Swedish Damallsvenskan will lose two of its top three goalscorers. However, the third, Fornes, could be of real interest to the Albion. Funnily enough, when watching her tape, she reminded me a lot of fellow Norwegian Elisabeth Terland – who really thrived here. The slight snag is she’s only been at Malmo for a year, but if Brighton can prise her away, then there’s a lot to like.

Ludmila – Chicago Stars FC – 30
Ludmila has experience in Spain with Atletico Madrid and in the United States where she is coming off a 10-goal season for the worst team in the league, the Chicago Stars. Although not prolific at international level, she has been in and around the Brazilian squad consistently for the last four or five years so is clearly well regarded. I’m not convinced she’d score enough goals individually to rapidly improve the Brighton squad, but in tandem with Carla Camacho or another player from one of these categories, the total could be larger than the sum of its parts.

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Sam Kerr – Chelsea – 32
This could be a long shot, but when you look into the current situation at Chelsea it doesn’t feel impossible. They have history of moving on players at the latter stages of their career and it appears as though Kerr’s current deal will be up in the summer. If they do sign the aforementioned Wangerheim, then they will need space in the squad and time on the pitch to accommodate her which could become a real premium when every Chelsea striker is fit. From Kerr’s perspective, she could likely remain living in a similar if not the same area she does now, important with a small child, and would have the opportunity to work with an Australian coach. Likely? No. Possible? Stranger things have happened.

Selina Cerci – Hoffenheim – 25
If you’re looking for a goalscorer, look no further than German international Selina Cerci. Not only can she finish with both her left and right foot, but she’s a threat in the air too – something the Albion have missed up front for a while. She been pretty prolific everywhere she’s been in the Frauen Bundesliga, with the exception of Koln, where she had some unfortunate injury issues. After 16 goals in 20 games last season and 6 in 7 so far this season though, it seems only a matter of time before someone steals her away from Hoffenheim.

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Under the Radar:
Players that aren’t necessarily well-known, but have the ability to become a star in the WSL.

Clara Luvanga – Al-Nassr – 20
Not many people will claim that 21 goals in 20 games last season is a massive achievement given the strength of the Saudi Women’s Premier League, but you only have to watch Luvanga’s highlights to see that she’s the real deal. Fast, rangy, and an excellent finisher, my bet is that she’s the next big player from the WAFCON region to break out. Her international teammate Aisha Masaka is already here, why not make it a dynamic duo of Tanzanians.

Riko Yoshida – INAC Kobe Leonessa – 23
With the proliferation of Japanese players plying their trade abroad it is rare to find a top prospect who still competes in their national WE League. To be fair Yoshida has only really burst onto the scene recently, scoring 10 goals in 13 games so far this season and featuring for Japan in the East Asian Championships over the summer. Not the finished article, but with a clear eye for goal and the ability to press high, my direct comparison would be her compatriot West Ham’s Riko Ueki.

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Wilma Leidhammar – Norrkoping – 23
Not every signing can come from a club that wins the league, nor must they necessarily be top of the scoring charts. Leidhammer led Norrkoping in both goals (7) and assists (6) last season as they finished a respectable fifth in the Damallsvenskan. Already captain at such a young age, they surely will expect to lose her soon to an elite league. Tall, lengthy and strong she absolutely has all the attributes to make it in the WSL. Right-footed but with a powerful left, she’s very difficult to defend against. If there is a player Brighton can sign before someone else snaps her up – get Leidhammar.

Danique Tolhoek – Ajax – 20
The Albion got a good look at Tolhoek when she featured and scored for Ajax against them in pre-season action. A stat line of 19 goals and 7 assists in 22 games last season speaks for itself and she already has 4 goals and 2 assists in 7 games so far in 25/26. We already have a young Dutch contingent here and adding the next big striker to come out of the Netherlands could be a masterstroke if Ajax are willing to do business.

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Pure Potential:
Little known, or young players with bags of potential. More likely to be signed alongside a player from one of the categories above with a view to the future.

Tilda Ratts – Aland United – 19
For such a small country in terms of population, Finland produces a lot of quality footballers. At least half of their national squad plays or has played in an elite league and they have qualified for 5 out of the last 6 European Championships. At just 19 and still playing in the Finnish Kansallinen Liiga, Tilda Ratts still has plenty of time to develop even though she racked up 16 goals in 24 games during the 2025 season. Perhaps most impressively the striker has scored at every youth level for Finland from the U16’s all the way up to the U23’s – recently notching a goal on debut against Mexico U23’s. Perhaps not as powerful as some on this list, where she really excels is when utilising her pace, quick feet and movement to find space and finish.

Angelique Saldivar – Club America – 19
Unfortunately for us, most talented Mexican players are recruited to the United States and the NWSL. In fact by my research, if a WSL team were to sign her, I believe she would become the first player from Mexico to play in the division. Brighton have previously looked to South America for talent, see Jorelyn Carabali, so why not Central America? Another tall, rangy forward but with deceptively good technique, Saldivar is not the finished article, but with her physical attributes and the right coaching – the sky’s the limit. With 15 goals in 19 appearances last season at the age of 18, we would need to sign her up before America comes calling!

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So there are ten players to think about, a mixture of known, unknown, and unproven but food for thought all the same. Dario himself has acknowledged we need ‘at least one or two’ forwards so hopefully there will be something mouthwatering news to come in January and that will spur us up the table. I for one, cannot wait.

But wait, there’s more…
Always the way isn’t it, you come up with a list and then someone says what about so and so, or you unearth one more whilst doing follow up research, so below are two additional players that the Albion might consider.

Esther Okoronkwo – AFC Toronto – 28
Not included on this list originally as Sofascore had her listed as playing for Tenerife still, Okoronkwo was actually in sparkling form in the new Canadian Northern Super League, scoring 11 times and assisting 8 for Vancouver Rise. An international teammate of Chiamaka Nnadozie and one of the players of the tournament at the most recent WAFCON, her value may be at its peak, but the reward could well be worth the outlay.

Holly McNamara – Melbourne City – 22
Played under Dario at Melbourne City in her younger years, but shot to the fore last season with 15 goals in 19 league games, and received a deserved call up to the Australian senior squad. In just 2 games to start off this campaign she already has 2 goals and 2 assists. Similar to, for example, Aggie Beever-Jones, she’s not necessarily the tallest, strongest or fastest, but is a potentially elite-level finisher with a knack of being in the right place at the right time. Wrestling her away from Oz when the season has only just begun though will be the biggest obstacle.

Additional consideration on Damallsvenskan players provided by Liberty Simons. Follow her on X (@libertysimons) for her top notch European women’s football content.