Brighton were prepared to offer CJ Egan-Riley an opportunity to return to England's top flight, and West Ham United were also still interested in the centre-back. West Ham have been linked with the 23-year-old for a long time and had planned a move in the summer of 2025 when his contract with Burnley was ending, but the former Manchester City youth player, who holds both English and Irish nationality, chose to join Marseille instead. A potential move back to England follows a season where Egan-Riley was limited to 11 Ligue 1 appearances for the French club. The centre-back, who has been capped three times by England's U21 side, is under contract with Marseille until June 2029 and has a current market value of €9.00m, according to Transfermarkt.