Brighton have confirmed that Kamari Doyle has joined the club from Southampton.
The midfielder had been at Southampton since the age of nine and had signed his first professional contract in 2022 but joins Brighton for an undisclosed fee, with Southampton including a sell-on fee in the deal.
Doyle was very highly rated at Southampton and has tasted senior football at the club, with his only league action ironically coming against Brighton in the Premier League last season. His other appearance came off the bench in the 3-1 defeat to Gillingham in the Carabao Cup in August in which he provided an assist.
Doyle is an attack-minded midfielder who gained the attention of many fans when he scored two free-kicks in the same game, but using different feet, in a Southampton B fixture. Mentored by free-kick specialist James Ward-Prowse it is perhaps no surprise he is so deadly from dead ball situations. His record for the Saints’ B side reads 37 games, ten goals, 13 assists.
With his obvious talent and the fact Southampton were keen for him to continue his development at the club, it seems strange that Doyle has made the decision to join a Premier League club. However, that is what has happened and we look at why.
Why has Kamari Doyle decided to leave Southampton?
On the face of it, perhaps the allure of joining a successful Premier League team playing European football with a reputation for developing young talent makes a lot of sense for Doyle.
When you dig a little deeper, the deal does appear somewhat strange. Similarly to Brighton, Southampton are renowned for their academy and their willingness to provide a pathway to the first-team for young talents and the chance of breaking into to a top flight side is less than one in the league below.
Southampton Director of Football Jason Wilcox provided clarity on the reasons behind the deal, explaining: “Kami is another success story from our Academy and someone who we were keen to continue to help develop. However, with our position and ambitions in the league, as well as the strong competition within the team, including from other youngsters, we were unable to guarantee the first-team minutes that Kami and his representatives wanted”.
“Kami had made it clear he did not wish to sign an extension to his contract with us, so we are pleased to have been able to secure a deal at an appropriate level for him. We wish him well for the future.”
Whilst it is perhaps understandable that Doyle felt that Southampton’s promotion ambitions may mean that younger players like himself may get less opportunities it is worth caveating that the player has spent the majority of the current campaign injured and has therefore not been available to get said chances.
The likes of fellow academy players Samuel Amo-Ameyaw, Jayden Meghoma, Tyler Dibling and Cameron Bragg have all had first-team minutes this season, primarily in the cup competitions, and with Southampton travelling to Watford for the FA Cup fourth round on Sunday the four are expected to be involved once more.
Manager Russell Martin also name-checked Doyle when praising the four players mentioned in the wake of the third round win over Walsall, saying: “Really good. Nobody gets given it, you have to earn it. Kami Doyle is another one who would have played today but he’s been injured. I was really pleased with them.”
This shows that Doyle was very much on Martin’s radar and makes the decision to leave feel like one that may not be entirely about game time as Doyle has suggested to the club.
Martin has been clear that, had it not been for the club’s desperation to return to the Premier League at the first attempt, the talented players within Southampton’s youth sides would be playing a more prominent role. The Southampton boss told the Daily Echo earlier in the season: “If we came here and they didn’t say we had to get promoted but they said you’ve got to play young guys then they’d be playing every week”.
With Southampton flying having just broken a club record by going 20 league games unbeaten, still in the FA Cup and looking good for promotion, it feels like a good time to be at the club. Doyle has made his decision, though, and only time will tell if it is the right one.