Brighton & Hove Albion are regularly praised for conducting the best transfer business of any Premier League team, having bought low and sold high with a whole host of players.
Their 2024 summer transfer window then proved to be their most expensive of all time, with the club splashing out on £200 million worth of talent.
There is limited return on that investment as of yet, leading some to question whether Brighton’s desire to challenge the establishment has hit a ceiling.
However, the Seagulls continue to have one of the **Premier League**’s youngest squads, including several assets who are prized by the world’s biggest clubs.
They will be expected to sell some big names and bring in new talent this summer, so for the low-down of what to look out for, see what our VAVEL writers think below.
Areas to Strengthen
Written by Louis Selling
After securing Europa League football for the first time in the club’s history in 2023, Brighton have failed to qualify for Europe in the last two seasons.
The Seagulls spent nearly £200m last summer, so they are not far off having a squad capable of playing in European competitions.
However, there are a few key areas they need to strengthen if they are to qualify once again.
Full-backs
The squad’s current options include Joël Veltman, Pervis Estupiñán, Ferdi Kadıoğlu and Tariq Lamptey, but due to injuries throughout the season, head coach Fabian Hürzeler has had to play the likes of Jack Hinshelwood and Mats Wieffer at full-back.
This alone is enough to mean reinforcements are needed, but the need is increased by Estupiñán being linked with a move away.
More physical and intense options – such as Cuiabano – are a must on Tony Bloom’s shopping list if he wants to compete at an even higher level.
Striker
João Pedro looks all-but-guaranteed to leave the club, with **Newcastle**reportedly opening talks with his entourage and other clubs considering a move for him, which leaves an ageing Danny Welbeck, an underperforming Evan Ferguson – who could leave on a loan or permanent deal - and an unproven Stefanos Tzimas as the number nine options.
The squad is also crying out for a striker with a physical hold-up play profile, and the need for physicality and intensity is something Hürzeler has publicly addressed.
Although a club-record deal for Charalampos Kostoulas looks close to completion, a player such as Royale Union Saint-Gilloise’s Promise David or VfB Stuttgart’s Nick Woltemade could provide that missing piece to potentially break into the top six.
Set-piece coach
The Seagulls have been underwhelming when it comes to set-pieces, which has led to them letting go of Marco Knoop and advertising for a new department lead.
Dead-ball situations were a dying art, but they have recently had a resurgence, and it is something Brighton need to act on quickly and use to their advantage.
Priority Target
Written by Louis Selling
Brighton had a busy summer window in 2024 and are strengthening their backline with the free agent signing of Olivier Boscagli from PSV, as well as making bids for Cuiabano and Diego Coppola.
Their squad strength is increasing all the time, but one area that needs adding to is up front.
Welbeck had his best-ever season in 2024-25, but an injury to the 34-year-old could see Brighton left short, depending on what happens with Ferguson and how quickly Tzimas settles.
Besides depth, the Seagulls also need a number nine with a hold-up profile, as the importance of physicality and intensity has been regularly discussed by Hürzeler.
Brighton’s priority target is therefore a tall, strong and athletic striker who can lead the line, hold up the ball, link play and finish chances.
Three names immediately come to mind: the aforementioned David and Woltemade, or Saint-Étienne’s Lucas Stassin.
David scored 19 goals in the 2024-25 Belgian Pro League and was a huge part of his club’s title success. He is also 6’4” tall, which makes him nearly four inches taller than Welbeck.
Stassin scored 12 goals and picked up four assists in Ligue 1 for a club that got relegated. He is slightly shorter than Welbeck, but he is extremely athletic and very strong.
Woltemade scored 12 goals in the Bundesliga and helped Stuttgart to a ninth-place finish. He is the tallest of the three options at 6’5” and also covers all the play-making criteria.
Whichever of the options Brighton go for, they will go a long way to helping the club’s European ambitions.
Three Possible Departures
Written by Louis Selling
The summer transfer window is always an exciting time of year, but with the fun of
incoming signings comes the heartbreak and disappointment and outgoing transfers.
Brighton fans know that better than most.
Year after year, the club’s model requires one or two stars to be sold – albeit for huge fees – and that is likely to be the case again. Three players lead the list of likely departures this summer.
Igor Julio
The Brazilian defender joined the club in 2023 from Fiorentina for a fee of £15m and quickly became a fan favourite under Roberto De Zerbi, playing 33 games across all competitions.
However, since Hürzeler’s arrival, Igor has become a back-up option and was sidelined for a large part of the season with a hamstring injury.
The Seagulls’ acquisition of**Boscagli** and bid for Coppola are likely to push the 27-year-old further down the pecking order.
João Pedro
Alongside Igor, Brighton are likely to lose another Brazilian. This sale will generate a lot more money, with reports suggesting the club are looking for a fee of around £70m to £100m for Pedro.
Since he joined in 2023, Pedro has scored 30 goals and picked up 10 assists in 70 Albion appearances, whilst scoring incredibly important goals such as the last-minute winner against **Marseille**and a brace against Nottingham Forest.
A few weeks ago, reports emerged of a training ground incident between him and Jan Paul van Hecke, which looks to be the beginning of the end of his time on the south coast.
Brighton are also reportedly close to securing the £40m signing of Greek wunderkind Kostoulas, which would also suggest Pedro is heading out the door.
Joshua Duffus
The 19-year-old has only played two senior minutes since he joined in 2017, and he has supposedly been left frustrated with the lack of first-team opportunities.
This has reportedly led to Duffus rejecting numerous contract extension offers as he looks for a fresh start elsewhere.
Expiring Contracts
Written byWill Hugall****
Brighton are blessed to have a calmer summer than most on the contract front, and are currently signing off on their remaining business.
For much of the second half of the season, it looked like the end of the road for Tariq Lamptey.
The 24-year-old is a huge talent, blessed with electric pace, invaluable versatility and a knack for key final-third contributions, but his injury record has always been a hindrance.
Having been linked to a move to **Ajax**in January, it appeared the Ghanaian was destined to depart the Amex Stadium upon his contract’s expiry, but he has just penned a new one-year deal.
He is not one of the club’s big earners and only cost them £1.2 million when signed from **Chelsea**in January 2020, so the full-back’s latest extension did not present a big financial risk.
It also buys the club more time in assessing whether Lamptey will overcome his injury problems and fulfil his potential. Should he not, they have another season of planning to find a long-term successor to Veltman.
With Hinshelwood and Wieffer having proved themselves capable of filling in at full-back when required, it is not a disaster if Lamptey is not consistently available in 2025-26.
Nonetheless, the fact that the club left it until June to announce Lamptey’s extension suggests that they were initially looking at replacement options.
The only other senior player with an expiring contract is James Milner, who also appears likely to sign an extension.
The 39-year-old returned from a nine-month injury absence in the final match of the season with an added-time cameo, which Hürzeler said was a ‘thank you’ for Milner’s off-the-pitch role in 2024-25.
Earlier in the season, Hürzeler had said the club were ‘in discussions’ with Milner about a new contract and said, “We will see.” This has been confirmed by the retained lists Premier League clubs are required to publish each June, with Milner ‘offered’ a new contract.
With just 16 appearances between Milner and Gareth Barry’s all-time Premier League appearance record, it would be an inopportune time to end his relationship with Brighton.
Given his immense experience and coaching potential, there could be a hybrid role for Milner in 2025-26, as Brighton are keen to keep him.