Brighton have held preliminary talks with the representatives of Irish international Aaron Connolly about a new contract.

The 20-year-old signed a new three-and-a-half-year deal last January but he is in line for a bumper pay rise after his Premier League breakthrough.

It's understood that Brighton are prepared to offer the Galwegian a contract worth in the region of £20,000 (€23,000) per week but Connolly's camp are looking for more. There is an expectation that agreement will eventually be reached but early discussions have coincided with Connolly slipping down the pecking order as Graham Potter's team battle relegation.

The attacker didn't make the bench for last weekend's loss to Crystal Palace and his place in Mick McCarthy's squad could be in jeopardy with the Irish boss stating that the player had "disappeared".

Connolly burst on to the top-flight scene with a brace against Spurs but has failed to add to those goals in a dozen subsequent appearances and his last start was on January 18.

Meanwhile, Brighton have tied down the future of Jayson Molumby.

The Irish U-21 international midfielder has starred on loan with Millwall and has signed fresh terms with his parent club that tie him down until 2023.

"The experiences Jayson has had in the tough environment of the Championship have really helped his overall game," said Brighton technical director Dan Ashworth.

Irish Independent