Mike Cave: Brighton's data-led recruitment and transfer planning

WHAT HAPPENED
Brighton & Hove Albion sporting director Mike Cave spoke to BBC Sport's Dale Johnson about the strategy behind the club's rise. The interview explores Brighton's use of data in recruitment, the club's approach to loan-to-buy deals and player trading, and how they plan for departures while working within financial rules.

KEY CONTEXT
The conversation frames those topics as elements of Brighton's development into an established Premier League club and what the BBC describes as one of English football's "smartest success stories." Cave and Johnson discuss where analytics fits alongside traditional scouting, the role of the manager in the process, and how important large player sales can be to the club's model.

KEY FACTS
- Interview between Dale Johnson (BBC Sport Football) and Brighton sporting director Mike Cave.
- Topics covered include: reliance on data to sign players; the crossover between analytics and scouting; Brighton’s success with loan-to-buys; the manager’s importance; the role of big player sales; planning for players leaving; comparison with the club 15 years ago; and working within financial rules.
- Timecodes for the podcast discussion (as provided by BBC Sport) run from the opening on data use to sections on transfer planning and finances.