Brighton & Hove Albion

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We asked for your views on how many players Brighton could afford to lose if they want to achieve their aims next season? You will see in our post below that several Seagulls players have been ranked in the top 100 in the world in of valuation. So does the value of Brighton's top players make their potential sales worthwhile?

Here are some of your comments:

Mark: Having brought in a substantial amount in fees in the last few summer windows, I'm hoping we may get away with only selling one top player (Joao Pedro) this summer. We need a genuine number nine, as Danny Welbeck isn't getting any younger, a central defender, and full-back cover. I'm hopeful that Evan Ferguson may develop into the player we hoped he would be, and the returning loan players kick on to establish themselves in the first team squad. I do think at least one will be moved on - we need to be a stronger squad on1 September than we were on 1 June if we're going to compete in the top six next season, which must be the goal.

Steve: If there's no choice and two had to go, I'd choose Pedro and Verbruggen. It sounds like Pedro is already out after the bust up with a team-mate, while we have a number of quality keepers. On no should we sell Mitoma, Baleba or Van Hecke if we are serious about wanting to challenge the establishment.

Tony: I feel quite relaxed about the possibility of losing most of those players, the exception being Baleba who I think we should keep hold of for now. I think we have decent replacements in the pipeline for all the others.

Nick: Baleba shouldn't go for any less than Caicedo did. He's a better player than either of his predecessors. The way the season ended, I wonder if Joao Pedro's time is up and £60m is probably realistic. If bids of that much came in for Verbruggen or Minteh then I imagine they would go too. They would be missed, but they are not irreplaceable.

Fred: The model used to calculate those fees for our top players doesn't factor in the Bloom & Barber negotiation tax. So you can start by adding on a minimum of 10% to those numbers. If we sold Verbruggen for £60m+ and Pedro for £70m and then re-invested the profit in the right areas we would be in fine shape for next season. We need a right back, centre back and another number nine. My worry would be selling Mitoma, that would be really disappointing.

Nicola Pearson
BBC Sport journalist

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What a footballer can bring to a team and its fans can often be said to be invaluable, but every player has a price.

And for some, that is a very expensive one.

According to research from Swiss research group CIES Football Observatory, external, the current most valuable player in world football is Barcelona's teenage sensation Lamine Yamal, who could command a fee of around 400m euros (£340m) if someone dared to ask.

What could be exciting - and worrying - for Brighton fans, is who is listed as the most valuable goalkeeper.

Using a model that is based on over 8000 player transactions worldwide between July 2014 and March 2024, Brighton's first-choice goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen has the highest fee for that position - 64m euros (£54m).

In what has become quite a successful business model for the Seagulls in recent years, the club brings in lesser known talents and develops them into sought-after players that can be sold on for a much higher price.

And while from a financial perspective it keeps the club in a healthy position, some fans are beginning to ask at what point they stop being a selling club and are able to keep these talents for themselves and their own success.

Just this week, our Brighton fan writer suggested "two big-money sales is arguably the maximum the Albion should consider" this summer.

But, with four players ranked in the top 100 most valuable, how realistic will that be?

Midfielder Carlos Baleba ranks highest at 78m euros (£66m), followed by forwards Yankuba Minteh at 70m euros (£59m) and Joao Pedro at 68.7m euros (£57.9m).

With possible fees all above £50m, it could be difficult for the club to turn down offers, and this is without taking into any potential sale of Kaoru Mitoma who brings in interest in every transfer window.

However, with a young manager heading into his second season in charge and the importance of these players to the side and Fabian Hurzeler's style, ers will be hoping to avoid another season of transition so they can focus on European ambitions or silverware success.

So, how do you feel about the high value of Brighton's players? Just how many could the club afford to lose if they want to achieve their aims?

Let us know

Nicola Pearson
BBC Sport journalist

As the dust settles on the 2024-25 Premier League season, we have been taking a look at some of the alternative ways the the table could have finished...

"We never do it the easy way."

Something muttered by many a football fan as they watch their side go 1-0 down again.

As frustrating as it can be watching from the stands or on the TV, it is a position some teams thrive in.

Luring the opposition into a false sense of security, it is almost as though they do not get going until they have given the other team a chance.

And if the league was measured on how well a team bounces back after conceding the first goal, then this season would have seen Brighton coming away with a Premier League title.

There were 17 occasions in 2024-25 when the Seagulls conceded the first goal, but from those they came back to win five and draw five - rescuing 20 points in the process.

It will not have made for comfortable watching for the fans, but it does show the tenacity of Fabian Hurzeler's side to turn a match around.

The sign of champions is to win when you are not at your best and that is what Liverpool did this campaign. They may not have have conceded first as often as Brighton, but they still came back to win four times and draw seven.

It will not have always helped the cause of those chasing European spots, but Newcastle, Fulham and Aston Villa all showed the resilience that they could go one-goal down and still get much-needed points from a game.

At the other end of the scale, while some teams thrive in this situation, others flounder.

Nottingham Forest surprised many onlookers going from relegation candidates to battling for a Champions League spot in less than 12 months.

But key to that was their defence. There were not many occasions where they went 1-0 down - however, when they did, their ability to turn it around was in relegation territory.

The silver-lining for Reds fans, though, is that they really did make it difficult for the opposition to get in front and this is a strength they will hope to build on going forwards.

Goalkeeper coaches Marco Knoop and Jack Stern will leave Brighton this summer as head coach Fabian Hurzeler shakes up his backroom team.

The club have also confirmed the Seagulls boss will appoint a replacement goalkeeping coach and recruit a new set-piece specialist, with Knoop also responsible for defensive set-pieces in his one season at the Amex.

Stern ed the club in 2022 and had signed a new deal last summer.

"On behalf of everyone at the club, I take this opportunity to thank Marco and Jack for their efforts here," said Hurzeler.

"Marco is returning to and goes with our thanks and best wishes. He made a lot of sacrifices to me in England, and I will always be grateful to him for that.

"Jack and Marco have helped us to achieve a successful season in my first campaign at Brighton and I wish both well for the future."

Technical director David Weir added: "It's never an easy decision when people leave the club and I echo Fabian's sentiments.

"Jack has been part of a very successful period for club, working under Graham Potter, Roberto de Zerbi and Fabian.

"We thank both for their service, professionalism and hard work and wish them well for the future."

Scott McCarthy
Fan writer

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The past two summers have been one of considerable change at the Amex.

In 2024, Brighton signed nine players for £193m and appointed a new head coach. Yet 12 months earlier it was outgoings that dominated the Albion news cycle.

The midfield pairing which had taken Brighton into the Europa League were sold, Moises Caicedo and Alexis Mac Allister bringing in a cool £150m combined.

Everyone knows the Albion have a model. Buy young players. Develop them into stars. Sell if a buying club offers more than Brighton value said player at.

The model means any of Kaoru Mitoma, Joao Pedro, Carlos Baleba, Bart Verbruggen and Jan Paul van Hecke could depart this summer, depending on who or what you believe.

But there is a growing feeling among some Seagulls ers that the model might need to change slightly. And much of it comes from decision-makers at the club publicly describing 2024-25 as a transitional season.

The implication is that a young squad and young manager will be better in 2025-26 for the experience gained in the campaign just finished.

But if Brighton were then to sell off the family silver this summer, the risk is that 2025-26 becomes a transitional season again.

Young and inexperienced replacements take over from Verbruggen in goal, Van Hecke in defence, Baleba in midfield and Mitoma out wide.

Meanwhile, Bayern Munich, Liverpool, Manchester City, Chelsea or whoever else benefit from the work the Albion put into developing those players in that transitional 2024-25 campaign.

Mitoma seems most likely to go. He is 28 years old and deserves to achieve his long-stated dream of playing Champions League football. Pedro's off-field issues may also ease the way for his exit.

Two big-money sales is arguably the maximum the Albion should consider.

What cannot happen is selling in one summer the entire spine of a team who have shown they have the potential to challenge for the top five. No matter how good the money might look on a balance sheet.

Otherwise, when does the transitional season end?

Find more from Scott McCarthy at We Are Brighton, external

Brighton are keeping tabs on the progress of Sheffield United midfielder Ollie Arblaster, 21, as he continues his recovery from an anterior cruciate ligament injury. (Teamtalk), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Tuesday's full gossip column

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

BBC Sport pundit Nedum Onuoha has given us his insight and opinion every fortnight on your Premier League club throughout this season.

But this week, he's in the hotseat for your questions.

Maybe ask him who should be on your club's radar this summer, or where a rumoured target or new g might fit into the team.

Perhaps see what he thinks about how successful a new recruit might be, who it is vital to keep, or what is needed to make next season a success.

Send in your questions here and we'll put a selection to him

Steve Sutcliffe
BBC Sport journalist

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Bournemouth have the lowest matchday revenue in the Premier League, with a 11,379 capacity at the Vitality Stadium.

Yet they have recruited shrewdly and the big-money sales of Dominic Solanke and Dean Huijsen during 2024-25 means they could easily part with £100m to bring in new gs.

Brentford are among the best run businesses in the league and their approach of "spotting players that other clubs have not considered, such as Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa, is likely to pay further dividends as they are attracting attention from clubs with big budgets", said football finance expert Kieran Maguire.

"The Bees have no PSR concerns and could spend up to £200m, but are unlikely to break the bank for the sake of it as this is not the way that owner Matthew Benham conducts affairs at the club."

Meanwhile, another club on the south coast, Brighton, are also in rude health heading into the next transfer window.

The Seagulls have earned £200m in profit over the previous two seasons and could repeat last summer's heavy spend of more than £200m if necessary.

However, chief executive Paul Barber has already indicated they will more likely return to their tried and tested model of bringing in relatively unheard of players from unfamiliar markets.

Brighton's biggest challenge is more likely to be keeping hold of the likes of Joao Pedro, Carlos Baleba and Kaoru Mitoma, who are all attracting iring glances from clubs with bigger budgets.

Read more about the early transfer window and what each Premier League club can spend this summer

As the dust settles on the 2024-25 Premier League season, we have been taking a look at some of the alternative ways the the table could have finished...

Many of us will have been there in school.

It was not always about being the best, but about being better. Not trying to beat the others' scores or times, but about beating your own.

In sport too, it is why personal bests exist. It is a way of measuring your own improvement against what has gone before - we can't all be Usain Bolt and Florence Griffith-Joyner.

So if the Premier League season was all about how you compared to the campaign before, who would have come out on top?

Well, there is one clear winner.

With 29 points more than they had in 2023-24, Nottingham Forest would have been lifting that trophy.

They may not have finished the season quite as they hoped having spent so much time in the Champions League spots, but having narrowly avoided relegation a year ago, this shows the sheer scale of the improvement this term.

Their nearest challenger on this basis would have been Brentford.

With 56 points, they were three points short of their best ever Premier League tally, but having flirted with relegation last time out, it made for a more enjoyable season this time around.

Brighton, Bournemouth and Fulham may have just missed out on European adventures in the real league, but they are also teams who can be happy with the improvements they are showing as now well-established top-flight sides.

And despite the chaotic nature of Chelsea since the new ownership came in, they too can look to steady progress.

At the other end of the scale (or table), it is a very different picture.

Many question whether the traditional 'big six' teams is still relevant, given how others have broken that mould in recent years.

But if the season was based on improvement, four of those six would have been at the bottom.

Tottenham dropped-off in the league nearly as much as Forest improved. Manchester City had a high bar to reach, but a torrid spell proved costly. Manchester United have set multiple unwanted club records, while Arsenal struggled to maintain a real challenge for the title.

They say beware the wounded tiger, and it is hard to see all these sides having the same difficulties next season, but they will not have it all their own way with those teams that are on the up.

*All data from Opta and only teams who were in the league in 2023-24

Everton are interested in Brighton midfielder Matt O'Riley, 24, but are unsure if the Seagulls will sell the Denmark international. (Sky Sports), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Monday's full gossip column

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

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We asked for you to tell us what Brighton need to do in the summer transfer window.

Here are some of your comments:

Leon: Keeping players should be our goal this transfer window. We've built a fantastic squad with lots of depth and potential. We need to break the mentality of being a feeder club to ever see that potential fulfilled.

Andy: Sadly, Danny Welbeck has more career behind him than in front so we desperately need a proven striker. The same could be said about Lewis Dunk so a replacement there would be pertinent.

Tony: A lot depends on whether we lose anyone, but I think we need a striker and a right-back. I'd like us to sign Bryan Mbeumo and Kyle Walker-Peters. That should do the trick.

Charlie: We had a huge spending spree last summer so I can't see a lot of incoming faces. If Tariq Lamptey is going to go this summer, we need a new right-back. Joel Veltman is in his twilight years (albeit still outstanding) and Mats Wieffer is a stop-gap rather than long term. We might need a striker if Joao Pedro goes, but I would love nothing more than for Evan Ferguson to come back and find his form again - he is a special talent.

Matt: I would say Brighton need to get Pascal Gross back in the team. He was making assists for fun. If we could find a like-for-like replacement then I'd be very happy. Would be interesting to see if Ferguson comes back and gets his head down. He has the ability but does he have the mentality?

Ian: Whatever it takes, we need to keep hold of Kaoru Mitoma.

Thank you for the you submitted on the Premier League club pages.

Our aim is to contain all of the BBC's in-depth coverage of that team in one place, so it helpful to hear from you - you are who the pages are for after all.

We are going through all your responses and will take suggestions on board for next season.

The transfer window opens on Sunday - albeit for 10 days initially, mainly so sides competing in the Club World Cup can get early business done - before reopening for the rest of the summer on 16 June.

Are there certain players you are desperate for Brighton to sign, or an area of the squad that needs improving? Or maybe holding on to a key player is your biggest priority.

And what about sales - who needs to go?

So over to you... what names need bringing in and shipping out?

Let us know here

Nicola Pearson
BBC Sport journalist

As the dust settles on the 2024-25 Premier League season, we have been taking a look at some of the alternative ways the the table could have finished...

A Premier League season can sometimes be a tale of two halves.

Some come flying out of the blocks, while others are more sluggish starters.

The busy Christmas period can be a turning point with the arrival of the January transfer window feeling like a fresh start.

So what might have happened if the league season only start on 1 January?

Well, Pep Guardiola's title-winning machines would have picked up their fifth Premier League trophy in a row.

Playing one game fewer than actual champions Liverpool - who secured the title with four games remaining - they would have finished one point clear of the Reds, not withstanding Arne Slot's side slowdown in form after sealing the title.

City always seem to come good after January, but this time it was not enough to outweigh the torrid time they had from late autumn.

The rest of the top six is not too dissimilar to the final placings, although in this case, Aston Villa would have secured Champions League football and Brighton a Europa League spot in the absence of Chelsea - whose form nose-dived at the very beginning of the year.

And while the new year is a new start for some, it is less so for others.

That was the case for many of those down the bottom of the league.

The relegated trio would still have been relegated and Manchester United and Tottenham would still have ended up in the bottom six. West Ham find themselves one place lower after Wolves picked up form under Vitor Pereira.

So what does this tell us? If you wan to achieve your Premier League ambitions, it is about making sure you are there for nine months and not just from January.

*Table data from Football365

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We asked for your views on our fan contributor Scott McCarthy's end of season scorecard (27 May, 12:42 BST).

Here are some of your comments:

Olly: With a young squad and manager in his first season in the Premier League, along with the injury list, it has been a successful season, although frustrating dropping points from winning positions and not doing well against sides that were relegated. The experience of this season bodes well for next.

Noddy: Albion's biggest obstacle was the many injuries we suffered all season. If everyone was fit there is no telling where they would be now. Most probably in the Champions League.

Adam: Many Brighton fans will be used to drama. There are not many seasons when we can say Brighton were average. However, there were times when we dropped crucial points in the latter stages of games when we were in complete control. So it's definitely a case of what could have been, rather than what it has been - and don't get me wrong, we are very grateful for our second-best finish. It just didn't quite hit the European bullseye we were all hoping for. Instead, we hit the middle of the board and bounced out again. Roll on next season!

Brian: Overall a good season - we failed to reach the European places due to inconsistency and in particular losing points at the Amex to relegation candidates. A good experience, though, for a young squad for whom I'm sure greater things await. However, time to say goodbye to a great servant of the club, Lewis Dunk.

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Former Brighton player Warren Aspinall believes head coach Fabian Hurzeler has ed his first Premier League season 'with flying colours'.

The 32-year-old is the league's youngest permanent manager and behind Chelsea, named on average the second youngest squad in the division.

"I think he's been a revelation, at the age he is to come to a different country and a different league," Aspinall told BBC Radio Sussex's 'Albion Unlimited' podcast.

"First time in the Premier League - he doesn't know the pace of the league but he soon found out. He's come to a different country with a different culture. Lots of things going on and he didn't have many background staff with him to start off with.

"We've had little dips and things and I think the big dip for me was losing in the FA Cup when we lost 4-3 on penalties [to Nottingham Forest in the quarter-final] and that deflated us quite a lot.

"So it was a tough season for him but he's come out with flying colours."

Listen to the full chat here

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The BBC's Ask Me Anything team have done all of the research ahead of the announcement detailing next season's Premier League matches.

The fixtures for the 2025-26 season will be released at 09:00 BST on Wednesday, 18 June 2025 and the release will include the weekly schedule of all 380 matches.

The season will begin with a single fixture played on Friday, 15 August 2025 and conclude on Sunday, 24 May 2026, when all matches will be played at 16:00 BST. There will be 33 weekend rounds of fixtures, plus five midweek rounds.

The exact date and time at which individual matches are played during each weekend will be determined at regular intervals throughout the season, based on TV selections made by broadcasters.

Read the full article here

We asked you to select your Brighton player of the season from the four candidates chosen by our fan contributor.

And with the poll now closed, we can reveal the winner is... Jan Paul van Hecke!

Here's what Scott McCarthy from We Are Brighton, external said about him:

Van Hecke has been the one constant at the heart of the defence this season. Rattled through more partners than Henry VIII had wives, yet nothing has fazed him. Will surely succeed Lewis Dunk as captain... presuming he breaks the curse of not leaving within months of winning the club's official player of the year award.

See the final poll breakdown

Image source, Getty Images

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Japanese football journalist Masatoshi Mori believes Kaoru Mitoma should stay in the Premier League amid interest from Bayern Munich.

Mitoma, 28, has been heavily linked with a move to in the summer. This would offer him Champions League football, with Brighton missing out on European competition for next season.

However, Mori believes the standard in the Premier League compared with the Bundesliga is better for Mitoma.

Speaking to BBC Radio Sussex's Albion Unlimited podcast, he said: "If Brighton had got into Europe, I think Mitoma would definitely have stayed. He's such an ambitious player, but Brighton has the same kind of ambition.

"He has never spoke about a transfer, and I've asked him before about Champions League football being attractive. He just ed it off, laughing.

"I have to say that Mitoma believes Premier League football is really good for him. Going to the Bundesliga and playing for Bayern Munich is massive, but I don't know if that's the best choice for him.

"We will have to wait and see. I've always thought the Premier League is the hardest league for Japanese players, but Mitoma has changed that.

"In the final game against Tottenham, he looked like the best player on the pitch. I personally want him to play in the Premier League a little bit more."

Listen to the full chat here

Johnny Cantor
BBC Radio Sussex reporter

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Fabian Hurzeler deserves huge credit for securing the club's second-highest Premier League finish in his first season in charge.

A points tally of 61 was only one shy of the campaign that delivered Europa League football under Roberto de Zerbi with help from Graham Potter. The lack of European football next season will be a frustration, but it is not the only target for this club.

When the 32-year-old arrived, he stated he wanted to "challenge the establishment", and in of league position, he came very close. At times, the Seagulls bloodied a few noses with some stand-out performances, securing wins over both this season and last year's champions along the way. Hurzeler continues to strive for consistency, and that has been difficult to achieve for a host of reasons.

Astute business and big-name sales allowed huge investment last summer, but Hurzeler has been hampered hugely by injuries to new gs Matt O'Riley and Ferdi Kadioglu as well as dependable Solly March and the experienced James Milner.

Adding that to several shorter absences from regular key first-team players, he did not name the same starting XI in any Premier League game this season.

The style has evolved, but the high-intensity football is clear to see. Goals have not been a problem with three individuals making double figures for the first time.

Defensively, the team has looked slightly suspect at times, but the stats are skewed by that 7-0 defeat at Nottingham Forest. Ironically, that loss sparked a brilliant run, and that has been the story this season.

The good results have come in streaks, finishing the campaign with 13 points from a positive 15. Away from the league, the defeat in the quarter finals of the FA Cup also hurt, especially when arch rivals Crystal Palace, went on to lift the trophy.

As with the past five or so seasons, the next challenge is to deal with inevitable interest in the star performers. Joao Pedro, Kaoru Mitoma and Bart Verbruggen will all have their suitors but, as ever, the club will only sell at the right price and when it already has a replacement in-house or on the way in.

A season of transition has shown huge promise, and an ambitious head coach will be hoping to build on a decent platform next year.

The latest episode of BBC Radio Sussex's Albion Unlimited has dropped!

Journalist Masatoshi Mori s the team to discuss Kaoru Mitoma, and whether he could be on the move this summer. while Brighton midfielder Jack Hinselwood reflects on just missing out on European qualification.

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

Chris Collinson
BBC Sport statistician

Bournemouth and Tottenham were the most physical teams in the Premier League this season when considering the distance they covered and the number of sprints performed.

The results might explain why they had a lot of injuries.

Newcastle and Brighton were not too far behind though, with Brighton actually covering the most ground in the league, with fewer sprints.

Chelsea and Liverpool's style of play saw them sprint a lot but not cover a lot of ground, while Manchester City and Arsenal were the opposite (ran a lot but didn't sprint a lot).

Nottingham Forest very much had their own style of play this season as they both ran and sprinted the least.

Scott McCarthy
Fan writer

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Season rating: 7/10. Most Brighton fans would have taken eighth place if offered it at the start of the campaign - but there is a nagging feeling of what might have been had the three relegated clubs not all left the Amex with a draw. The six points dropped in those games would have taken the Albion into the Champions League.

Happy with your manager? A mixed bag from Herr Hurzeler but, in case you didn't hear at some point this season, he is only 32 years old. Hurzeler is learning all the time, and from what we have seen so far, I think he has the potential to become a Brighton great - especially if he keeps sharing Instagram posts of him riding his electric bike around the city.

Unsung hero: Adam Webster. Written off by many, his return from four months out in February coincided with six victories in a row. Injured again and Brighton won one in six. Returned for the final three games of the season and it was another three wins. There does not seem to be any logic behind it, but the Albion just look much better with Webster alongside Jan Paul van Hecke.

Player you would most like to sign: I appreciate there is more chance of me taking Dua Lipa on a date to my local pub for a steak dinner, but Thomas Muller. A tenuous Bayern Munich academy connection exists between Muller and Hurzeler. And Muller's experience and ability would take Brighton on to another level. More realistic is Kyle Walker-Peters - if Tariq Lamptey is to leave on a free as widely expected.

Right now, my overriding emotion from the season is: Excitement. The Albion's biggest problem has been inconsistency, which is par for the course with such a young squad. Consistency will come with experience, as will better game management and hopefully the ability to overcome struggling teams at home. Marry those three together and the sky is the limit. Unless Kaoru Mitoma, Carlos Baleba and Van Hecke all get sold for mega money this summer...

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Find more from Scott McCarthy at We Are Brighton, external