Brighton defender on loan at Genoa tipped to have Premier League potential

The defender started the season on loan at Stoke City and despite some early success he fell down the pecking order and was recalled by Albion in January.

Although, Ostigard would not be at the Amex for long as he was loaned back out but this time to Italy's top division.

So far he has cemented himself in the first team and even scored a goal for Genoa, a bullet header against AC Milan in the Coppa Italia. Although a harsh red card and some rusty early performances have meant it has not been all perfect for the defender.

Brighton and Hove Albion defender Leo Ostigard's record at Genoa

To get a better understanding of the Norwiegan's progress in Italy, The Argus spoke to journalist and European football expert Alex Barker.

Barker told the Argus: "Ostigard has definitely improved since he first arrived. When he came to the club he had a pretty shaky few games.

"In his first one against Spezia you could argue he was at fault for the first goal as he failed to close down his man. He looked like he was playing in pre-season, and that was shown in Fiorentina as well when Genoa lost 6-0.

"He got beaten by Dusan Vlahovic to the ball after looking pretty dazed as a ball went over his header. In fairness, this was when Andriy Shevchenko was in charge, and results under him were dire.

Leo Ostigard wins a header over Inter Milan's Edin Dzeko

"Genoa brought in a German called Alexander Blessin who has tidied up the defensive line and made Genoa more organised. Interestingly Ostigard has switched to left-centre-back from the right and performed a lot better.

"He has looked sharper in the last few games and has started the past three in Serie A, and he's getting out to his man quicker and turning faster. Based off that I wouldn't say he has been blinding.

"He's had praiseworthy moments like against Inter where he made some good blocks, and the header against Milan in the Coppa Italia. Overall though it was a slightly slow start and he's still not played too many games.

• READ MORE: Brighton loanee sees harsh red in Genoa victory

Barker does, however, believe that Ostigard could become a useful player for a team in the Premier League that tries to play more defensively and has compared him to West Ham star Kurt Zouma.

He said: "I think with a bit of tweaking the 22-year-old can be pretty useful in a top-five league. I think he could suit La Liga or a deep block side in the Premier League.

"My questions would be over his mobility, he's not the quickest defender and he's not a top passer. Still, he is only young.

"I would compare him to Kurt Zouma, in that both defenders are superb in the air. The stats from FBREF [a football statistics website] say Ostigard has won just under 80 per cent of his aerial duels and that still doesn't put enough shine on the leap the man has.

Euro Expert Alex Barker on Leo Ostigard

"For someone who is already a fairly tall, bulky defender, he can leap pretty high and get so much power behind headers. He could be a lethal weapon from set-pieces in the right hands. What he lacks is Zouma's pace and passing, but the latter especially is something that can improve under the right coach."

Despite some moments of promise from the young centre back, which have included him being called "a wall" by Italian media, Barker is not sure that he is a Premier League level player, however, he has argued that in the long-term Ostigard could be a useful asset for Albion.

Barker said: "I'm not a qualified coach so I can't say for definite what Ostigard's ceiling is, but I'm not convinced he would be a Premier League level player.

"I do think the potential is there though considering his age. He also would suit playing at Brighton long term, as he is a nice hybrid between centre-back and as a full-back if edging more towards the former.

Leo Ostigard netted against AC Milan in the Coppa Italia

"In that Brighton back three I can see a home for him, but at the same time if there is a chance to cash in then they could consider it.

"In the meantime if they don't let him go, I think Albion should consider loaning him to somewhere like the Bundesliga or Ligue 1.

"These are the two youngest leagues in Europe, and Ligue 1 in particular is a league that can really test less mobile defenders. It forces them to either adapt, or work on their positioning to cover for it, like former Southampton defender Jose Fonte.

"These leagues would challenge Ostigard and hopefully help him work on his weaknesses, and see him return to the Premier League in 2023 as a 24 or 25-year-old who could seriously contribute to Brighton."