Brighton have discovered how much they will need to spend if they want to sign transfer target Boulaye Dia, who is also on the wish-lists of two former Champions League-winning clubs.

Portuguese media outlet A Bola reported [via HITC] that Reims will demand €15m (£13.5m) for the 23-year-old, with the Seagulls facing competition from Porto and Marseille for his signature.

Earlier this month, Le10 Sport had claimed that Albion had commenced talks with the centre-forward about a possible move to the Amex Stadium.

Dia has scored 13 goals in 50 appearances for Reims, netting eight times last season in helping them to a fifth-placed finish in a curtailed Ligue 1 campaign and getting off the mark for this term with the opener in a 2-2 draw at Monaco last week. However, he was a notable absentee from the matchday squad for yesterday's 0-1 home defeat against Lille.

Although he has proven that he can score in a major European league, there is no guarantee that the 23-year-old would go straight into Graham Potter's starting line-up. The Brighton manager often starts with only one centre-forward, a position which Neal Maupay is likely to occupy after his 10 goals in last season's Premier League. However, the ex-Brentford man scored just seven goals in 59 Ligue 1 games before moving to England, the same tally that Dia managed in 24 matches in the division last term.

The Seagulls will also need to present a very persuasive sales pitch to the Reims striker if they are to fend off the competition for his signature. A resurgent Marseille qualified for this season's Champions League, a tournament which will also feature Porto after they regained their Portuguese title earlier this year. While they are both competing in Europe's flagship club competition, Brighton have the more modest ambition of seeking to improve on a 15th-placed finish in the Premier League.

Considering that Maupay cost £20m from second-tier Brentford, a sum of £13m does not seem excessive for Dia, whose goal ratio in Ligue 1 is far better than the current Brighton marksman.

However, the Seagulls could have it all to do if they are to beat the likes of Porto and Marseille to his signature. That said, they already pulled off an impressive coup when signing Joel Veltman from Ajax for less than £1m earlier this summer, so Albion might be quietly confident of landing another clever purchase in the current transfer window.

Brighton fans, how thrilled would you be if the Seagulls beat Porto and Marseille to Dia's signature? Comment below with your views!