Anthony Knockaert can still provide one last spectacular contribution for Albion

Barring a dramatic and unexpected change in circumstances, that will come a year from now.

The right-winger will smash the Seagulls’ current club transfer record when his move to Fulham becomes permanent next summer.

Whether the £9 million paid by Leicester for Leo Ulloa is still the Albion record remains to be seen, of course.

After all, there are still 47 days of transfer window to go between now and the end of the 2019-20 season.

But The Argus have been told the eight-figure sum Fulham pay for Knockaert will “very significantly eclipse” the fee which saw Ulloa join him at the King Power Stadium five years ago.

Knockaert joined Fulham on an initial loan deal on Sunday afternoon.

His Premier League playing time under Chris Hughton, a manager who always tended to use two genuine widemen, slipped by ten hours last season compared to 2017-18.

And Hughton has since been succeeded by a head coach who, it is anticipated, may well make less use of out-and-out wingers.

Knockaert’s contribution to the promotion season of 2016-17 and his close emotional links to Albion make his move away something of a poignant one.

Putting emotion aside, there were those among the Albion fanbase who saw good tactical reasons for keeping him.

Others might have pointed to his waning influence – compensated for or maybe masked by the winner he scored at Selhurst Park – plus the resources in the squad and the way new boss Graham Potter plans to set his team up.

One aspect which was perhaps more puzzling whatever your point of view was the fact he would initially go on loan.

Albion have repelled interest in Knockaert from several clubs in the past. Plenty of it.

But they always evaluate players at the end of a season and that process is heightened when a new manager or head coach takes over.

Going for an initial loan deal can help the buying club’s cash flow or allow the selling club to ultimately secure a higher price.

Both those factors could well have come into play on this occasion.

Albion will receive a loan fee worth several million pounds this season.

Although it is unclear whether the size of the eventual transfer fee is linked to whether Fulham go back to the Premier League, the deal itself is not.

A well-placed source said the chances of it not happening are “very, very low indeed”.

Whatever the financial aspects, Knockaert will leave a wealth of memories although the last of them was probably not a good one.

That was his ridiculous sending off during the 5-0 defeat at home to Bournemouth and subsequent ban for three games, including the six-pointer at home to Cardiff.

In a fantastically honest and emotional interview a few weeks later, Knockaert said he lost sleep over that tackle as he feared he had left his side in a deep hole.

That was part of the deal with Knockaert.

Not so much hot-headed moments which led to red cards.

It only happened twice – against the Cherries and in a defeat at Everton.

More maddening were those times when he got too wrapped up in a contest when things were not going well and tried to take on the world by himself.

The one touch too many, the extra little check back when team-mates were awaiting a cross.

Or the head-down run instead of a simple pass.

That is all part of rational reasons why the parting of the ways might not be such a bad thing.

But there were magical, inspirational moments and matches.

Knockaert celebrates against Sheffield Wednesday

The goals which helped ten men beat Sheffield Wednesday, his winner at Hillsborough, the two goals at Wolves which nudged Albion to the brink of promotion.

The emotional celebration after his Boxing Day strike at home to QPR.

That little chip at home to Norwich which drew praise from Jean-Pierre Papin, no less, on French television.

Don’t forget the goal-line clearance to help secure what turned into a good point at Stoke.

You can’t buy the sort of buzz he created at his best.

Until now, you could not buy Knockaert from Albion, either.

But the club believe the time, the price and the structure of the deal are now right.