Timely recognition or long overdue? Brighton's bargain Pascal Gross

Brighton midfielder Pascal Gross has been named the Premier League's player of the month for September, prompting renewed attention to his remarkable value for the club.

Gross joined Brighton as their first-ever Premier League signing in 2017, arriving from relegated Ingolstadt for a reported £3m. He left for boyhood club Borussia Dortmund in 2024 for £8m, but surprisingly returned to Brighton in January this year for around £1.7m. Accounting for all transfer fees, he has effectively cost the club minus £3m while being involved in 85 Premier League goals across both spells.

No player has been involved in more top-flight goals this season than Gross — six in five games. Since he first joined Brighton nine years ago, only three players — Bruno Fernandes, Kevin de Bruyne and Mohamed Salah — have created more chances in the division than his 562.

Former England midfielder and BBC pundit Danny Murphy said Gross has not been underrated, noting his Premier League performances have been visible to a worldwide audience for years. BBC Radio Sussex commentator Johnny Cantor suggested Gross could be the best pound-for-pound value player in the league over the past decade given his goal involvements.

Gross also holds the record for most successful crosses, including corners, in that period (483), and ranks fourth for passes into the box. He has 34 goals and 51 assists in 252 Premier League appearances.

When he returned to Brighton in January aged 34, many saw it as a sentimental career finale, but Gross has defied those expectations. This season he has run almost 60km — more than any player except one Everton teenager — and has played every minute of Brighton's matches in all competitions, helping the club to third place in the table.