Gaetan Bong: Summer recruitment isn't all about big money

But the Albion left-back says there is more to good recruitment than throwing money at a squad.

Bong is on board for at least another season after signing a new deal.

He was glad to get that out of the way before setting off to the African Cup of Nations with Cameroon.

But he will keep a close eye on who Albion - and their 19 rivals – buy and sell this summer.

Bong is particularly keen to see the spirit among the Seagulls not adversely affected by changes.

He told The Argus: “I’m a fan as well. I’m watching the transfer window like everyone who loves football. You want to see people moving.

“Even in the club, we play for the club and we want to see what’s going on.

“But it’s not about money. You can say ‘bring the best player’ but we are Brighton, we will never spend money like some others spend it. We have to be better and clever.

“People ask me if I wanted to move and why I decided to stay in Brighton. I say, ‘Because I know what I can bring to the team’.

“Maybe people can’t see it but I can see what I bring.”

Bong is happy to continue his competition with Bernardo for the starting spot and believes the pair of them offer different options.

He said: “At the beginning of the season, the club bought Berny but I said, ‘No, I know what I can bring’.

“If you move, you don’t know what is going to happen and what you are going to get.

“You can say I am just a defensive player but come and beat me first.

“I’m not the one who is going to score goals. That’s not my job. I’m a left-back and my job is to defend.

"If I can also give an assist, then okay. But I do the job for the team.”

Bong signed as a free agent four years ago after parting company with Wigan and is proud of the part he has played in Albion’s steady climb.

He added: “This year, I played a lot of games and I helped this team stay again in the Premier League. You can say what you want.

“Some of the teams spent a lot of millions to sign players but they go down. That’s why I say money means nothing.

“The type of footballer or what you are like means nothing.

“The most important is what you are doing when you are on the pitch. Everyone needs to do the things right.”

A bit like Bruno on the right and maybe Glenn Murray up front, Bong has seen potentially his successor arrive at the club – and fought back to regain the shirt.

In Bong’s case, it was competition with Markus Suttner, who is currently starting for Fortuna Dusseldorf in the Bundesliga while on loan.

Suttner arrived and initially took the starting role when Albion were new boys in the Premier League.

They have learned a lot since that first day when Sunday’s visitors Manchester City were in town.

Life is tough in the top flight. Bong points to the quality of football even relegated Fulham – whose big-spending did not pay off – have played of late.

He said: “This season wasn’t easy. It was harder than last season because we had more to lose.

“Last season, we had nothing to lose. We have learnt more this season.

“Last season, we were just committed, just fighting and we stayed in the league.

“People weren’t expecting a lot and we surprised everyone.

“This year people were expecting.”