Albion have made a £150 per minute profit on Mark Wright after selling him to Bristol Rovers and replacing him with long-time target Arron Davies from Nottingham Forest.

The one-in, one-out deal, completed shortly before the transfer window closed at 5pm yesterday, represents stunning business for the Seagulls.

Wales international Davies, 25, is on loan for the rest of the year with a view to a permanent move.

The fee for Wright, officially undisclosed, is believed to be an initial down payment of £35,000.

That equates to £150 per minute, based on the 233 minutes Wright spent on the pitch for Albion in two starts and three substitute appearances following a Bosman free transfer from MK Dons just ten weeks ago.

It is a lucrative deal for the Seagulls to compare with the quickfire profits made on Paul Holsgrove and Darren Currie.

Holsgrove, signed on a free transfer by Brian Horton, was sold to Hibernian for £100,000 without kicking a ball for Albion.

Currie, captured for nothing during the reign of Mark McGhee, went to Ipswich four months later for £250,000.

Current chief Russell Slade said: “This is very good business for us. Mark Wright has given his best for the club but has struggled to settle in off the field.

“It makes sense for both parties for us to allow him to move on with our best wishes.

“Arron is a more than adequate replacement. He can play on either wing or as an attacking midfielder.

“He is a player I know very well from my time at Yeovil. I expect him to be a very good acquisition for the club.”

Davies has been high on Slade’s list of targets since the summer, when Albion wanted to sign him permanently but could not meet Forest’s valuation.

Cardiff-born Davies, a former Southampton trainee, was capped by Wales at senior level while with Slade at Yeovil and also captained their under-21s.

Forest bought him in a combined £1.2 million deal with Chris Cohen after he scored twice against them in the 2006 play-off semi-finals.

He has been restricted to 40 appearances for the East Midlanders and has only featured for them this season in the Carling Cup.

Albion saw off competition from Yeovil and Carlisle to land the 5ft 9in Davies, who joins fellow Forest loanee Matt Thornhill at Withdean.

Slade remains keen to bolster his defence once the loan window opens next Tuesday.