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The 22-year-old was a summer transfer window recruit by Graham Potter, and since returning back from his loan at Lech Poznan the Polish international is trying to nail a permanent place in the Brighton starting XI.
Jakub Moder was able to get another 66 valuable Premier League minutes as the Pole looks to knuckle down and see why he is the right player for any position across the midfield for Graham Potter.
Having started his youth career at Sokół Drawsko and Fortuna Wieleń, it was with Warta Poznan where he was finally seen by Lech Poznan scouts and was signed up to join the Ekstraklasa side’s Academy.
In the 2015/16 season, the then 16-year-old made his breakthrough into the under 19’s side and saw his Lech team top the Central Youth League West.
The season then went to a Play-off between the two top sides from the East and the West with the club from Poznan losing to Legia Warszawa U19’s 3-1 on aggregate in the semi-final stage.
Moder managed 21 appearances all season alongside two goals and one assist in a season where the young midfielder was only starting to find his feet.
This good breakthrough season from the youngster warranted him a place in Lech Poznan’s second team who were competing in the 3 Liga- Group II.
28 games and five goals for the Pole saw his side narrowly miss out on the title by one point but it was another step in the right direction and valuable experience for Moder.
Another season in Lech Poznan’s second team followed and the side finished fourth, 11 points behind league winners Elana Torun.
Two goals and six assists in the 3 Liga saw Moder play once in the Ekstraklasa with the midfielder getting one minute of playing time in a 3-1 victory over Wisla Krakow.
In the 2018/19 season, the Pole went out on loan to 1 Liga side Odra Opole in search of consistent minutes and to gain valuable senior team experience and the youngster developed further.
35 appearances in all competitions saw him score four goals and get two assists with the side from Opole finishing in the bottom half of the table in 12th.
The following season, the midfielder showed his class as he made his step up to first-team duties in Poznan. Lech narrowly missed out on the title to Legia Warszawa by three points, but Moder was able to get five goals and five assists in 26 league matches.
In October 2020, the talented and now Poland international caught the eye of Premier League Brighton & Hove Albion with the Seagulls signing Moder for £9.9 million.
He would go back on loan to Poznan as part of the agreement and started the 2020/21 season in Poland with the club he grew up at.
Moder was able to play Europa League football whilst on loan but Lech were knocked out after only one win in the group stage.
The midfielder was still able to get a wealthy amount of playing time with 25 appearances, four goals and three assists in the first half of the season under his belt.
Returning back to the South Coast at the start of 2021, the 22-year-old was unable to get into the side until the end of January as he featured on the bench, but it took until the end of the following month to finally get on the pitch in the Premier League.
He’s featured eight times for Brighton this season, seven times in the league and once in the FA Cup, and is definitely looking like a player that can play anywhere across the midfield.
Playing primarily on the left flank under Graham Potter which is highly different to where Paulo Sousa plays him in the Poland national team set up.
Moder is a natural central midfielder but the Pole possesses fantastic ability in reading the game and he is very good at attacking and defending which allows him to help in every situation for the Seagulls.
The midfielder could have had his first goal for the team from the South Coast if it wasn’t for an offside decision that was given against him.
At the start of the second-half, he read the play brilliantly to intercept and drive his side forward only for Adam Lallana to release a tame effort that was saved by Aaron Ramsdale.
The 22-year-old was involved in one final move before he was substituted off in the 66th minute of the match. Moder had a shot with the ball deflecting and falling to Lallan’s head, but the midfielder was unable to direct the effort at goal and saw it go behind for a Sheffield United goal-kick.
He will only grow as a player with confidence and once he has scored his first goal or recorded his first assist for the club that will be a huge added bonus for the 22-year-old.
Brighton are still not safe and need to string some performances together if they are to stay up in the Premier League. The Poland international may well be the key that unlocks top-flight football for the South Coast side for another season.
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