Brighton & Hove Albion

Brighton have received a £25.6m offer from Napoli for Denmark midfielder Matt O'Riley, 24. (Sky Sports), external

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Johnny Cantor
BBC Radio Sussex reporter

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Brighton & Hove Albion have made a fast start to the summer transfer window but the majority of incoming business appears to be done.

The capture of young Greek star Charalampos Kostoulas has certainly grabbed the headlines and the Seagulls appear to have fought off strong competition for his signature.

The arrival of Diego Coppola, currently performing at the European Under-21 Championship, from Hellas Verona also indicates a remoulding of the defence with the statistics for the 21-year-old's season in Serie A presenting a strong, physical profile.

Both will have to transition to a new country and a new league but Brighton has a track record of helping young potential settle into a new environment. Kostoulas will be helped by the arrival of fellow Greek forward Stefanos Tzimas who signed for the club in January but remained on loan at Nuremberg.

Coppola meanwhile will be joined by free agent Olivier Boscagli who is expected to join on 1 July after his contract at PSV expires.

Brighton owner and chairman Tony Bloom this week told ITV Racing he did not think there would be "a huge amount more" business done by Brighton but that the club always stays alert to any opportunities that may arise in the short-term.

Now the focus will inevitably switch to departures.

Joao Pedro appears to have several suitors, Kaoru Mitoma will be in demand and Carlos Baleba is bound to have his admirers but the management have always only allowed key players to move at the right price.

With the arrival of two defenders there may not be room for the likes of Igor Tudor in the squad next season while extended contracts for James Milner and Tariq Lamptey provide continuity with both hoping to put their injury concerns behind them.

Overall the squad looks balanced in terms of age and experience. With one Premier League season under his belt, Fabian Hurzeler should be more adept at getting the best out of his team.

The 32-year-old has stressed his desire for physicality and intensity in his squad and both appear to be reflected in the deals done so far.

Chelsea have made initial contact with Brighton over Brazil striker Joao Pedro, 23, who is also wanted by Newcastle. (Fabrizio Romano), external

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The 2025-26 Premier League fixtures are official so we asked for your thoughts on the schedule and where Brighton will be after the first 10 games.

Here are some of your replies:

Alastair: After 10 games in 2024-25, Brighton were eighth on 16 points. With 15 points in the bag, Brighton could be ninth at the same stage in 2025-26, assuming they haven't improved. The first month throws up lots of anomalies but, once it has settled down, I expect the Seagulls to be as unpredictable as last year. Hopefully, they are still hitting late winners to make it worthwhile battling the crowds onto the later trains.

Gary: I think we will be in the top six.

David: The opening six games look very tough. I think we will learn a lot after those fixtures. Eight or nine points would be a cracking start.

Opta has ranked the difficulty of each top-flight team's first five Premier League fixtures of the 2025-26 season.

According to Opta's model, Manchester United have the hardest start, followed by their opening-weekend opponents Arsenal and then Bournemouth.

Aston Villa's first five games have been ranked the easiest, alongside Crystal Palace.

Take a look below to see where your side places...

Aside from the opening game against Fulham and final weekend fixture aginst Manchester United, all dates are subject to change as a result of broadcast and other requirements.

See Brighton's full fixture list here

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Brighton travel to rivals Crystal Palace on weekend of 8-9 November, with the return at Amex Stadium on the weekend of 7-8 February.

After securing a victory over champions Liverpool last month, Albion will look to repeat the feat when they host Arne Slot's men on the weekend of 21-22 March.

Fabian Hurzeler's Albion travel to Anfield on 13-14 December.

And what about the schedule over Christmas and New Year? Well, Brighton's four festive fixtures include home matches against Sunderland and Burnley, and two London trips to face Arsenal and West Ham.

Finally, the Seagulls will close their campaign at home to Manchester United on Sunday, 24 May 2026 - when all 10 matches will kick off at 16:00 BST.

Looking at the fixture list, where do you think Hurzeler's side will be after 10 games? Have your say here

Brighton will host Fulham in their opening game of the 2025-26 Premier League season.

The match will take place on Saturday, 16 August at 15:00 BST, with the Seagulls' first away fixture against Everton on the weekend of 23-24 August.

See Brighton's Premier League fixtures in full here

Where do you think Albion will be after 10 games and what do you make of how the fixtures have fallen? Tell us here

The latest episode of the Albion Unlimited podcast has landed.

BBC Radio Susex's Johnny Cantor and former Seagulls forward Warren Aspinall to discuss all things transfer window, including the signing of Diego Coppola, Joao Pedro's future and James Milner's contract.

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

Bayern Munich will target Brighton winger Kaoru Mitoma if they miss out on Athletic Bilbao's Nico Williams. (Sky Germany), external

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Other teams will be "jealous" of Brighton signing Diego Coppola early and he will "compliment" other Seagulls defenders well, says football analyst Ben Mattinson.

The club confirmed the signing of the 21-year-old centre-back from Hellas Verona on Tuesday for a undisclosed fee believed to be around 11m euros (£9.4m).

Coppola made his debut for Verona in 2021, having emerged from the club's academy and has gone on to make 81 appearances for the Serie A side since.

The defender has already been capped twice for Italy and is representing the under-21s in the European Championships.

"What intrigued me the most is he is not the type of defender you would associate with the recent type of defenders Brighton have signed," Mattinson told BBC Radio Sussex's Albion Unlimited podcast.

"When you think of other ones, there is a lot who are very skilled on the ball and not as physical defensively. Whereas this is not the polar opposite, but he is really good defensively, a good in the box defender, and has the physical presence that at times Brighton have needed more of.

"Also, he is not really slow, but he is not electric quick, however, he reads the game really well which helps when defending bigger spaces. Anticipating when to come up and press the ball or when to drop back and sweep and defend the space – he is really good at reading danger like that."

Brighton have often had a focus under recent managers on defenders who are good with the ball at their feet and can help build up play from the back.

Coppola represents a slight step change from this with his skills currently rooted in his ability to try and win the ball back and defend his area - helped by his tall stature at 6ft 4in.

So while the likes of Jan Paul van Hecke come out on top for possessional stats, Mattinson believes the Italy international's style could work well alongside those currently in the Seagulls backline.

"Coppola is a more aggressive defender so you can see him working well with a player like Jan Paul van Hecke who is a lot better on the ball - that will be a nice compliment for each other," he added.

"He is really good aerially as well, he is about 6ft 4in. I'm surprised that at that price none of the big Italian teams were going for him, so it says a lot that Brighton were quick to get it done.

"He is going to be the type of defender that a lot of teams are going to be jealous that [Brighton] got ahead on it early."

Listen to the full discussion on BBC Sounds

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Following the signing of Diego Coppola from Hellas Verona, we asked you for your thoughts on the defender.

Here are some of your comments:

Tony: Coppola is tall, athletic and seemingly intelligent and capable with the ball. He could be a direct replacement in the middle of the defence for all-time favourite Lewis Dunk.

Flynn: Looks like a promising signing. At 6ft 4in, he fits the physical criteria Hurzeler asked for, and at 21, he has plenty of room to develop. Can't go too wrong for the price.

Matthew: On paper this looks like a fantastic signing. Time will tell if the guy can fit in well at Brighton as some of our recent signings have struggled to establish themselves.

As the transfer window is now open again until 1 September, we also asked you to tell us one player you want Brighton to sign, and a player you want to be sold this summer.

Here are a selection of your comments:

Simon: Joao Pedro can leave. He has been very good but we are very strong in his position. A bumper new contract for Kaoru Mitoma is the one signing we must achieve. Kaoru is on a different level to any other player and such a humble role model for the young players.

Oscar: The player I'd like out is Igor Julio, he is a player who is injury prone and can't get his way into the starting XI because of Jan Paul van Hecke's amazing season and Adam Webster's fill-in for Lewis Dunk. The player I would like Brighton to purchase is a striker but don't know who yet. Danny Welbeck can't play like he is now forever. I think we need to sign a striker that is able to be the next Welbeck. Maybe Jorgen Strand Larsen with his height and physicality in and around the box.

Ryan: Brighton need to sign Kyle Walker-Peters. Has represented England and is also versatile being able to play on both sides as a full-back. He is available on a free transfer and is a proven Premier League player. I believe that we should be looking to sell Joao Pedro. We have signed two young Greek forwards and Evan Ferguson will be returning from loan. With Joao Pedro's attitude problems and, at times, a lack of effort, I think this is the perfect time for him to step up to a higher level while we cash in on his talent. He is clearly a very gifted footballer but sometimes lacks the off the ball work that Fabian Hurzeler is looking for.

Julian: For all the positives, Joao Pedro's value could fall if misbehaviour grows quicker than his goal tally. There's a few in England Under-21 shirts at the moment (Charlie Cresswell, Tino Livramento) that look tempting but maybe Brighton could afford Bryan Mbeumo?

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New Brighton signing Diego Coppola will give the side a "real physical presence", says boss Fabian Hurzeler.

The 21-year-old defender has completed a move from Serie A club Hellas Verona for an undisclosed fee on a five-year contract.

Coppola, who is 6ft 4in, has made 81 appearances for Verona, scoring four times, including twice in 35 appearances in 2024-25.

The centre-back is representing Italy at the U21 European Championship in Slovakia.

"Diego is an exciting addition for the club," head coach Hurzeler told club media.

"Although he is still young, he is tall, strong and mobile and he will give us a real physical presence.

"He has made impressive progress in Serie A and deserved his call-up to the Italian national team. We look forward to helping him develop even more."

What do you make of the signing? Is he what Brighton need? What can Coppola bring to the side?

Get in touch with your thoughts here

Newcastle have opened talks with Brighton over the signing of forward Joao Pedro. (Telegraph - subscription required), external

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No sooner does the season finish and we start looking forward to key dates for the next campaign - and that will be a lot easier to do on Wednesday when the Premier League fixtures are released.

That's right, that special day in the calendar is almost here already. The day when you'll learn details of derby fixtures, Christmas opponents and end-of-season run-ins.

This page will bring you all the fixtures when they drop at 09:00 BST on Wednesday and we'll be giving you the chance to have your say on how things look.

The new campaign kicks off on the weekend of Saturday, 16 August and it will conclude on Sunday, 24 May 2026, when all 10 games will take place at the same time.

The transfer window is open again for summer business to be conducted.

Clubs can now strike deals until the deadline at 19:00 BST on 1 September.

So if you can sell one player who is it? And if you can buy one player only, who gets the nod?

Give us reasons for your choice but remember, in this instance it's a strict one player leaving and one coming in.

Send your selections

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Brighton's first signing of the summer is Greek teenager Charalampos 'Babis' Kostoulas, who has joined from Olympiakos for a fee of £29.78m, in what is the highest fee ever received by a club in Greece.

BBC Radio Sussex's Albion Unlimited podcast has been speaking to journalist Kostas Lianos about the 18-year-old's profile and what Brighton fans should be looking forward to.

"Brighton have signed one of the biggest wonderkids in the world in my opinion," Lianos said.

"No-one is surprised in Greece with that. I feel like this is one of the most exciting signings for the club and the city of Brighton.

"Two years ago we were hearing about a 16-year-old called Babis Kostoulas and my generation grew up with another player called Athanasios Kostoulas playing for Olympiakos, that was his dad, a centre-back who won a lot of titles.

"Babis grew up with a father who was very successful at the most successful club in Greece so the name caught our attention but, slowly we were hearing from the academy that this player is meant for big things. We were waiting, counting the days, the months until this player finally got into the first team.

"His technique, his killer instinct, his speed, his mentality, his toughness, quickly earned him comparisons to Gabriel Batistuta [former Argentine forward]. For that reason Babis earned the nickname 'Babis-stuta'. So that's something for the Brighton fans to hold on to."

Listen to Lianos' full piece on BBC Sounds

Nizaar Kinsella
BBC Sport football news reporter

Image source, BBC Sport

The Kostoulas family is steeped in footballing heritage and is forever connected to Olympiakos.

The father of Brighton's new forward is Athanasios Kostoulas, a former central defender who won seven league titles across a glorious eight year spell at the Athens club, while his older brother, Konstantinos, is also on the books of Olympiakos but spent last season on loan in Portugal at Rio Ave.

The entire family travelled to Brighton to witness the signing but, as is commonplace with these deals, it was a long day of paperwork, looking for houses and waiting for the official announcement.

When asked by BBC Sport about his feelings, Kostoulas' father, known as Thanasis said: "Today is a very important day for the whole family. Despite being many years a professional player myself, what has been achieved has happened in a very short space of time. Everything has happened very quickly and within one year.

"We are emotional but excited that everything should go well. We feel this opportunity is the best one possible and he will participate in the best league in Europe and the world.

"We are confident in his desire and ability to work hard to allow him to shine as he has done so far in his career."

Brothers who achieved together

Image source, Handout

Of course, it is bittersweet saying goodbye to a son who has lived his entire life in and around Athens. Kostoulas' mother Eirini said it was "emotional" to say goodbye but that this was the best opportunity that her son has been presented with.

There were also reflections from the family of memories like "Babis'" scissor kick against PAOK at Under-15s level, a first senior goal against the same club this season and, most poignantly, seeing both brothers lift the Uefa Youth League together.

The elder brother Konstantinos has a photo of himself and Babis celebrating beating AC Milan 3-0 in the final to win the title, the equivalent of the Champions League at youth level, in 2024 for Olympiakos. The pair are holding up the Greek and club flags and the image is a screensaver on his phone.