Do Brighton and Hove Albion want Vicente Rodriguez if he doesn't want them?

There is merit to the argument that if Vicente is not happy with Brighton and Hove Albion, then the Seagulls should not force him to stay.

Yet, invoking the option in his contract to extend the original deal to beyond the end of the coming season is, as manager Gus Poyet has said, only sensible.

If other clubs are desperate to sign the Spanish superstar, then Brighton should be entitled to a fee, especially as Albion helped him through a difficult period with fitness and injuries.

There is no doubt that Vicente is an exceptionally talented footballer, and shone every time he took to the pitch, but if he doesn't want to be with the Albion, that might manifest itself in the way he plays.

I am hardly suggesting that he would not give 100 per cent as the true professional that he is, but an unhappy player is never at his full potential.

Do Brighton need him? Probably not. Anyway, the fee could go towards another talented play-maker who actually wants to be at the club.

With the new signings, plus more to come, Brighton should be looking at a minimum of the play offs – with or without Vicente.

Especially as it likely to be a golden season for striker Craig Mackail-Smith.