Highly-rated Brighton winger Amario Cozier-Duberry has earned the nickname 'Super Amario' after lightning up League One this season while on loan at Bolton Wanderers
Amario Cozier-Duberry knew he was rolling the dice when he called time on his five-year stay with boyhood club Arsenal in the summer of 2024.
It was a decision that required lengthy deliberation but after snubbing a formal contract proposal from the Gunners, the mercurial teenager opted to join Brighton despite widespread interest from both the Premier League and Europe, respectively.
Newcastle made Cozier-Duberry a competitive offer while Borussia Dortmund and Ajax had also held detailed discussions over a potential deal. Wolves too, were among a list of clubs in contention for his signature.
The electric winger had spent the crux of his childhood idolising the likes of Thierry Henry and attended Arsenal home matches alongside his brothers just to catch a glimpse of his heroes. But once he signed on the dotted line with Albion, penning a four-year deal at the Amex, he made a firm promise to himself that he would never look back with regrets.
There was a strong sense his pathway to first-team football at Arsenal was complex and as a left-footed right-winger, he was humble enough to acknowledge that it would prove virtually impossible to dethrone Bukayo Saka.
Cozier-Duberry, who makes no secret of the fact he's modelled his game around the style of Arjen Robben, would pick Saka's brains at London Colney in a bid to emulate his efficiency and former Arsenal U18 head coach Jack Wilshere previously pinpointed there were clear similarities between the English duo.
“Amario is very exciting and Mikel likes him," Wilshere told The Athletic in 2023. "He reminds me of Bukayo Saka, plays in the same position as him, needs to get better with his decision-making like Bukayo did, but he’s definitely exciting. In some moments he’s unplayable. You give him the ball and he can make things happen. You can set up a team and have a game plan, but when you’ve got individuals like that you’ve got a chance."
Cozier-Duberry made a lightning start to his Brighton career, netting a brace in a 5-1 victory over Kashima Antlers in the first match of Albion's pre-season tour of Japan last year.
However, following the Seagulls' £30million capture of Newcastle's Yankuba Minteh, it was later decided a loan would be beneficial and the explosive, raw wide man joined Championship side Blackburn Rovers for 2024-25 Championship season.
He made 22 league appearances at Ewood Park, netting just one goal before joining League One promotion-contenders Bolton Wanderers on another season-long loan.
Cozier-Duberry currently boasts 14 goal involvements (seven goals and seven assists) this term and is arguably the hottest property currently in the EFL after recently claiming the EA Sports FC Young Player of the Month award following a breathtaking October.
Understandably, his sparkling form has captured the attention of several Championship clubs, who would be interested in signing the player on loan in January for the second half of the campaign.
Bolton are desperate to retain his services as he is deemed central to their promotion charge but there is a break clause included within the agreement. Brighton sources, however, insist they're delighted with their forward's progress at the Toughsheet Community Stadium and there's believed to be a reluctance to disrupt his development.
Wanderers are adamant Cozier-Duberry's red-hot displays are no coincidence, either. In 2023, Liverpool right-back Conor Bradley swept up their Player of the Season, Players' Player of the Season and Young Player of the Year awards following an exceptional loan spell in League One before forcing his way into the first-team picture at Anfield.
But there is also recognition that this particular loan was love at first sight. The 20-year-old, who has four goals and three assists in his past three league outings, is a student of the game and has been lauded for treating every training session in Greater Manchester as if it were his last.
He is frequently kicked by opponents and in recent matches, opposition managers have even been tinkering their tactical setup to try and nullify Cozier-Duberry, deploying two defenders on his side in a bid to mark him out of the game, which has so far proven ineffective.
'Super Amario' just keeps getting back up and he is already well on his way to earning first-team opportunities at Brighton next season due to his penetrative dribbling, crossing ability and knack of finding the target from range.
Jason Ayto, who joined Albion as sporting director in September, knows the silky dribbler well from his time at Arsenal and with Minteh said to be attracting interest from the Premier League's so-called 'Big Six' - the Seagulls already have a ready-made replacement in Cozier-Duberry.
Don't be surprised if we are all talking about another Brighton transfer masterstroke, this time next year.