Brighton and Hove Albion finished sixth in the Premier League last season, shocking the majority of people who haven’t been paying close enough attention to the smartest club in the Premier League.
Roberto De Zerbi’s team played some of the most attractive football in the league as the man hired to replace Graham Potter lifted the club to new heights, and delivered a European adventure which had been something the Seagulls fans have long dreamed of.
Preparing for Departures: The Future of Star Players
Brighton understood that they would be losing some players this summer, with Levi Colwill’s loan coming to an end and the likely departures of star midfield duo Alexis Mac Allister and Moises Caicedo.
Mac Allister joined Liverpool for £35mil and Caicedo has been the subject of multiple bids from Chelsea which have been rejected as they fall short of Brighton’s valuation of the player. If Chelsea don’t get their act together, Brighton are very comfortable in keeping Caicedo for another season.
Proactive Recruiting: Four New Signings
The south coast club haven’t rested on their laurels this summer, making four signings already ahead of the new season.
A deal for the outstandingly talented Joao Pedro was announced before the season had even ended, as Brighton snapped up another exciting young forward player to go with Julio Enciso and Evan Ferguson.
They followed that up by signing James Milner and Mahmoud Dahoud on free transfers. Milner brings great experience to the squad, having been a squad player for outstanding teams at Manchester City and Liverpool, and that will be important for Brighton. He has little left to offer on the pitch, but in a player/coach type of role, he should add to the group.
Dahoud meanwhile has plenty to offer if he can stay fit and finds his best form. A dynamic do-everything midfielder he will help fill the gap left by Mac Allister.
The most recent addition was Bart Verbruggen, an exceptional young goalkeeper signed from Anderlecht. Goalkeeper had been a problem position for De Zerbi last season, with Robert Sanchez falling out of favour. In Verbruggen, Brighton have added one of the best young goalkeepers in world football.
Up Next: Replacing Colwill and Looking for Defensive Options
Their next priority is replacing Colwill in the squad, as a left-footed central defensive option. They would still like to bring Colwill in, and haven’t ruled out the possibility of a Colwill plus cash offer for Caicedo being acceptable to them, but they are also aware that they can’t afford to simply wait and see if that becomes a possibility.
Instead, they have moved for a player who can either replace Colwill, or complement him, in Igor Julio of Fiorentina. The 25-year-old Brazilian is a product of the Red Bull system and has excelled at Fiorentina since joining I Viola from SPAL.
Comfortable on the ball, adept at playing out from the back and versatile enough to cover left back as well as a central role, the Brazilian could be seen as a delayed Dan Burn replacement if Colwill does return to the Amex Stadium.
Over the past two seasons he has made 77 appearances and played a vital role in Fiorentina’s run to the Europa Conference League and Coppa Italia Finals last season.