Sussex

Image source, Getty Images

Brighton chairman and owner Tony Bloom sat down for an exclusive interview with BBC Radio Sussex's Johnny Cantor. In this final part, he talks about Albion's finances hat included discussions around the squad, finances and the Seagulls' future.

Bloom on competing financially in the Premier League: "The finances are really tough, clubs are spending more and more money.

"The net spend of our competitors just keeps going up. If you look at our net spend at Brighton &Hove Albion over the past five years compared to our rivals, we are spending a lot, lot less. Most clubs lose significant sums of money. We want to be a sustainable football club.

"We will have seasons where we lose a lot of money, as well as some seasons where we make a lot of money. But over a consistent time, if we stay in the Premier League, we will be sustainable and we will be profitable. But most of our rivals are not, so it is really tough to compete with that.

"For the very biggest clubs, their commercial and stadium revenues are so much bigger than ours. So we have significant obstacles to overcome, but we as a club and I as an individual, are happy to take on the competition."

On confidence of winning a trophy and getting back into Europe this season: "I don't think you can ever be confident of winning a trophy. We have not won a major trophy ever, so we don't want to get obsessed with it. We know how difficult it is.

"The latter stages of any cup competition are playing some of the best teams in the world, but we absolutely are aiming every season to be competitive, to be aiming to win cup competitions - and that is the men's and the women's teams.

"What is a bit more in our control is the league, the league form, the league position and, as I said before, our aim is to be playing in Europe. We loved playing in Europe a couple of seasons ago and we want to be regularly pushing for those European spots."

Listen to the full interview on BBC Sounds

Find more from the interview by checking back over the Brighton page

Image source, _antonpalmer and @bailey_palmer7 on Instagram

Brighton have snapped up 16-year-old twins Anton Palmer and Bailey Palmer from Middlesbrough's academy, after fending off multiple other Premier League clubs to sign the young talents.

Writing on Instagram, external, the pair confirmed their decision to leave Riverside Stadium, after coming through the club's academy: "After eight years at Middlesbrough FC, we have made the decision to leave the club.

"We thank everyone involved in developing us into the players we are today. From the medical staff to the coaches, this club will forever be a part of us.

"We have made memories and friendships for life but it is now time for us to start a new journey."

The Palmer twins, both midfielders, are yet to make their senior debuts but did spend time around Middlesbrough's first team, and have featured on the bench.

Both will be eligible to sign their first professional deals when they turn 17 years old in November.

Image source, Getty Images

Brighton chairman and owner Tony Bloom sat down for an exclusive interview with BBC Radio Sussex's Johnny Cantor. In this third part, he looks on how Albion are conducting business amid the Premier League's financial restrictions.

On possible changes to profit and sustainability rules: "I think there is a vote coming up in the next few weeks to change that system.

"If it does get voted through, there would be a year having both systems and then it will be fully with the squad-cost ratio if it gets voted in. Which will be a lot more similar, but with differences, to the Uefa system.

"We are in the process of going through that. We don't have a view yet on which way we will be voting. There is also the top-to-bottom anchor and sustainability vote, so there is a lot for us to go through, but we will know a lot more and the votes will happen in the next month or so."

On the importance of the financial regulations: "It is really important, and there has to be some kind of financial sustainability.

"PSR has worked to an extent - it is far from perfect, but it has stopped clubs being able to spend whatever they want. No system is perfect. The advantage of the squad-cost ratio, is it is more real-time. It is looking over a season rather than looking backwards over a three-year period. But there are pros and cons to both."

On the biggest challenges the club face: "There are always obstacles - there is always difficulties. It is very difficult, first of all, for a club of our size to consistently punch above our weight and just to stay in the Premier League.

"You just need one season where things don't quite go right [and you are in trouble]. Three teams is a lot of teams to get relegated each season. When you look at it and think at least six of the teams really should not be anywhere close to ever being relegated - it doesn't mean they can't get relegated - it is not easy.

"We have to always be on top of our game, always be focused and not take anything for granted."

Listen to the full interview on BBC Sounds

Find more from the interview by checking back over the Brighton page and come back later on Wednesday for our final instalment

Brighton have no plans to cash in on Cameroon midfielder Carlos Baleba in January despite the 21-year-old attracting interest from Manchester United last summer. (Talksport), external

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

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

Image source, Getty Images

Even though it is the international break, there is still plenty to talk about at Brighton.

Do you have a burning question on a player's contract or form? Fabian Hurzeler's tactics? Or perhaps it is on expectations for this season?

BBC Radio Sussex Brighton reporter Johnny Cantor is here to help and he will be answering a selection of your questions later this week.

Get in touch with your question here

Image source, Getty Images

Brighton chairman and owner Tony Bloom sat down for an exclusive interview with BBC Radio Sussex's Johnny Cantor. In this part, he discusses the long-term strategy for Albion.

On if it is becoming more difficult to compete with top clubs: "Everything about the Premier League every year becomes more difficult.

"Hence we have to always look to improve and innovate because if you stand still, and it is talked about a lot in many businesses, but particularly in the Premier League, our competitors are fiercely competitive. They are looking to overtake one another and get stronger all the time.

"We have to do likewise and ideally we are going ahead even faster than the other teams."

On others catching up with Brighton's analytics: "I don't know exactly what other clubs are doing. They don't necessarily talk about it, but you can assume they are spending a lot of money to try and improve in all areas - particularly the areas of analytics for their recruitment processes.

"We have to innovate and we just aim to get better every season, which we are."

On their 2030 vision: "This is going back 12-18 months ago because you need to energise the football club on a regular basis.

"It is about having a lot of goals and breaking them down in different areas. Over many months, Paul [Barber] and the management team are talking to all of our staff about how we can improve in their particular areas.

"On the football side, we have had our long-term vision for quite a while, in terms of our aim to be regularly competing for the top 10 in the Premier League and the top four in the Women's Super League. That stays. We have made the goal on the men's side to be pushing for Europe every season as well.

"We also talk about the fact that we are really pushing every season to bring a trophy to the football club. That would mean so much to our fans, to the club and to the city.

"It is just looking at each individual area to get to a level of improvement, and it is a gradual improvement because we are doing lots of things very, very well. But we must never stand still.

"An example is that we have brought in a chief technology officer for the first time and he has been a huge breath of fresh air, with lots of innovative ideas which can create efficiencies in many different departments."

Listen to the full interview on BBC Sounds

Find more from the interview on the Brighton page throughout Tuesday and Wednesday

Image source, Getty Images

Brighton & Hove Albion owner Tony Bloom says a new designated stadium for their women's team remains "vitally important" to the club and the city but he "can't put a time on it".

Brighton hope to build a new purpose-built stadium for the women's team by 2027-28, having had proposals approved by the council in October 2023.

The Seagulls currently host the majority of their WSL matches at Crawley Town's Broadfield Stadium, with some games being played at the club's main Amex Stadium.

"We are really committed to bringing the women's team back to Brighton full-time with the stadium," Bloom told BBC Radio Sussex.

"We don't have a stadium outside of the Amex in the Brighton and Hove area to be able to play the games and unfortunately the Amex - the wonderful stadium that it is - can't host all of the games because of conflicts with the Premier League schedule.

"And it is too big of a stadium. We do it sometimes because we want to have games in Brighton but having four, five or six thousand in a 36,000 stadium isn't great for atmosphere."

In January, the club said it had identified a site for the new stadium but Bloom said there had been "delays" in making an announcement because of "things outside of our control".

"A designated stadium for women players, for the fanbase which is a very different demographic to people watching our men's team, I think it's vitally important to this football club and this city," Bloom added.