Brighton & Hove Albion

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We asked for your views on former Brighton defender Warren Aspinall's comments on this page that Evan Ferguson needs to leave the Seagulls for "a fresh start".

Here are some of your thoughts:

Dave: I agree with Warren. It's a pity that he got injured so much and his stint at the Hammers was a waste of time for all. He's still worth more than we paid for him, so if Roma want then Roma can have, and the very best of luck to him.

Steve: He's never been the same player since either his, or more likely his advisor's, head was turned when the likes of Arsenal, Spurs and Chelsea were suddenly courting him back in 2023. Shame as he had so much potential. But, I agree time to get rid!

Dave: Agree entirely - not up to our standard.

Olly: With his previous injuries and lack of opportunities he needs a new challenge and regular game time so a loan deal where he is playing regularly not like his loan at West Ham may be the answer this season

Peter: As far as I can see there are three options: 1: sell him; 2: loan to a club in the EFL or 3: Keep him here playing with the under-21s. I certainly wouldn't favour option one. He is a good player who, like Aaron Connolly, impressed hugely on his first start, thus attracting all the "noise". Then he was injured, which seems to have ripped all the confidence out of him. I think he needs some coaching/counselling with a sports psychologist. All players mature at different times - look at Victor Gyokeres. The spark of talent was always there - it just took a little more time to wheedle the performances out of him. Fabian Hurzeler may be the one to do it but we definitely need to keep.

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Former Brighton striker Warren Aspinall believes Evan Ferguson needs to a new club to bring his career back on track.

Ferguson was on loan at West Ham last season but only started once for them. His only other two starts in the Premier League came for Brighton before the second week of December.

The forward has also been dealing with recurring ankle problems, having missed significant time with a cruciate ligament injury in 2023-24, but has been linked with a switch to Serie A giants Roma this summer.

"He has to look at himself," Apsinall said on BBC Radio Sussex's Albion Unlimited. "He didn't hit the ground running at West Ham, did he? Let's be fair. It wasn't happening for him. I think he needs a fresh start. So, for me, it has to be a transfer.

"Sell him for whatever we can get for him. He needs to get going into an environment, a different country. Going to Roma would be a good thing."

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A new episode of BBC Radio Sussex's Albion Unlimited podcast is now available on BBC Sounds.

Johnny Cantor and Warren Aspinall break down all the latest transfer news, with a deep dive into Brighton's incomings and outgoings this summer.

Plus, special guest Adam Hinshelwood joins to chat about his son Jack and James Beadle's incredible success in winning the Under-21 European Championship with England - and gives his take on the growing strength of the Seagulls' squad.

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

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Brighton have confirmed youngster Ibrahim Osman will join Ligue 1 club Auxerre on a season-long loan after a spending the 2024-25 campaign at Feyenoord.

The 20-year-old joined Albion in February 2024 from Danish club FC Nordsjaelland where he scored 10 goals and claimed ten assists in 44 appearances, but has yet to make his Premier League debut.

The club's technical director David Weir said: "Ibrahim had a good loan with Feyenoord last season where he gained experience in the Eredivisie and played in the Champions League.

"As with all of our young players, it's important that he gets as much game time and playing minutes at a high level. Joining Auxerre will provide that chance and will be another important part in his development, and we look forward to watching his progress this season."

The BBC's search to find a new football expert is under way, with 12 content creators competing in Last Pundit Standing to win a role as BBC Sport's next football content creator.

The first two episodes of the show - co-hosted by former Watford captain Troy Deeney and YouTuber and football presenter James Allcott - are available to watch on iPlayer, as well as BBC Sport's YouTube channel and TikTok account, with new episodes every week until 11 August.

The contestants, who were chosen from more than 400 applicants, will be whittled down through a series of tasks staged at iconic football locations as the creators are challenged by some of the biggest names in the game.

Read more about the show here

Watch the first two episodes of Last Pundit Standing now on BBC iPlayer

Pat Nevin
Former footballer and presenter

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We are all usually drawn to the big-name transfers that threaten to break records. It is also worth a trawl through the slightly less glamorous-sounding acquisitions to see where the bargains might be - and who the stars of tomorrow are.

Brighton is not a bad place to start, given their astonishing record of buying low and selling high. With Joao Pedro now at Chelsea, the Seagulls have invested in an 18-year-old striker, Charalampos Kostoulas, as his long-term replacement.‌

The real surprise is that they have spent more than £30m on this kid from Olympiakos.

Caicedo cost £4m and left for £115m. Marc Cucurella set them back £15m and was sold for over £60m. Alexis Mac Allister was acquired for about £15m and could end up pulling in £55m.

So that initial £30m outlay is big for Brighton, especially for a raw youngster.

There is also the small matter that most people who were looking at Greece, including me, were fixated on 17-year-old midfielder Konstantinos Karetsas. He has only played three games for the national team, but his time at Genk will be limited as the football world beats a path to his front door.

And maybe that is where Brighton are special; unlike others, they are more interested in finding players through the back door.‌

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Brighton are considering loan options for promising 19-year-old English forward Kamari Doyle, with Reading showing strong interest. Doyle, who gained valuable experience with loan spells at Exeter and Crawley last season, could be set for another temporary move to continue his development. (The Athletic), external

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

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Brighton midfielder Jack Hinshelwood says he is "champing at the bit to get going again" after winning the Under-21 European Championship with England.

Retaining the Young Lions title capped off an exciting few weeks for the Albion man, who became a father just three days before the tournament began.

"It was a crazy sort of start," he told the Brighton website. "It was an amazing month.

"To be part of the under-21 team winning the Euros was very special. I loved every moment of it and I wish I could do it all again."

But there will be no rest for the 20-year-old as he has chosen to return for pre-season training on Tuesday with the rest of the first-team squad.

"The club offered me time off but I said I was going to be at home anyway so I might as well come in.

"I'm so excited already to go back and join the lads again and get going, because the way we finished last season I'm just champing at the bit to get going again."

Roma are interested in signing 24-year-old Brighton and Denmark midfielder Matt O'Riley. (La Gazetta Dello Sport - in Italian), external

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Brighton head coach Fabian Hurzeler believes new signing Maxim de Cuyper brings a 'winner's mentality' in to his squad.

The 24-year-old left-back has signed from Club Brugge on a five-year-deal and will join up with his team-mates this weekend.

"Maxim arrives having won the league and cup in recent years with Brugge," said Hurzeler. "It's great that despite his young age, he clearly has a winner's mentality.

"We're excited to work with him."

Maxim came through the youth ranks with Brugge, making his professional debut in a 1-1 draw with Manchester United in the last 32 of the Europa League in 2020.

"Maxim is a creative left-back who has great experience at Champions League level as well as in the domestic league," Hurzeler added.

"He has a great reputation for creativity and has shown his ability across different positions, although we primarily see him challenging for a left-back spot with us.

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Brighton have added Dutch goalkeeping coach Jelle ten Rouwelaar to Fabian Hurzeler's backroom staff.

The 44-year-old has worked at NAC Breda, Anderlecht, where he worked with Albion keeper Bart Verbruggen, Burnley, Manchester United and Leicester City alongside Ruud van Nistelrooy.

"Jelle is an outstanding coach, and we're really pleased he is joining us," Hurzeler said. "He has so much experience of European football and the Premier League and will be a strong addition to our coaching staff."

During his playing career Jelle made nearly 500 appearances for eight clubs, seven of them in the Netherlands including nearly 400 games for Breda

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We asked for your views on the news that Joao Pedro has joined Chelsea in a deal worth £60m and your initial reaction to the transfer.

Here are some of your comments:

Fran: Selling Pedro is a good bit of business for the Albion. I always thought he was inconsistent. He was always reliable as a penalty taker but you need more. I would be more sorry if we lost Mitoma. Anyway, good luck to Pedro in Brighton's reserve team!

Ted: For an established Premier League goal scoring forward - a profile in short supply - this looks somewhat cheap. I hope Brighton have a ready-made replacement in mind as we look a bit light up front.

Lawrence: Pleased. He's a great player and gives 100% in and out of the training/Premier League games. My only concern is he's hot-headed and can be a tad aggressive which lands him into trouble. Is that a bad thing or good thing? Time will tell but he has fallen out with a few players here and has received red cards so can be a liability. But, when he's on his game he's fabulous to watch. I wish him well.

Alastair: Brighton don't make many mistakes with player sales and this isn't one of them. Pedro only shows his best in flashes and gets petulant when Brighton concede or his fellow players are trying to walk the ball into the net, which is a common problem at the Amex. I expect he'll be swallowed up by the masses of failed transfers at Stamford Bridge. As ever Brighton are meanwhile quietly recruiting the next £60m sell-on.

Paul: Joao Pedro is undoubtedly a gifted player and I have had the privilege of seeing him score some cracking goals. However, I've never been convinced that he was 100% committed to the club. His demeanour and his interaction with other players just left me feeling his heart wasn't in it and he had his eyes on bigger, shinier things. He looked bored. He'll fit in well along the Kings Road and its London living and nightlife. Best of Brighton luck to the lad.

Alex: Obviously a loss on the pitch, but for every big moment there'd be games he went missing, and with Rutter, Gruda and perhaps Buonanotte all capable of playing in the same role, I think it's a good move. Rutter an upgrade as well I believe.

Japan winger Kaoru Mitoma, 28, has told Brighton he wants to stay at the club and sign a new deal despite being linked with Bayern Munich (Sky Sports), external

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Dutch football expert Michael Statham from Football Oranje speaking on BBC Radio Sussex's Albion Unlimited podcast about Olivier Boscagli's move from PSV to Brighton: "At PSV, Boscagli has been such a key player for six years now. This is a good signing for Brighton and it fits their club really well.

"Boscagli is one of the best defenders in the Dutch league. He didn't have the best season last season - he just wasn't 100%. He got better towards the end when there was something to play for, but generally he was coming up to his peak, but wasn't mentally at 100%. That said, he is still an impressive defender.

"PSV are a very attacking team and he suits that because he is so good on the ball. On progressive passes, he is first there and he is strong defensively. He is a leader in that so much of the play goes through him.

"At Brighton Boscagli will come and play centre-back. He has great long balls, dribbles at times and is always progressive and forward-thinking. He is threatening with shots as well and gets in the box for corners.

"He talks to players on the pitch and has a go when it isn't good enough. I wonder how he will get on with Brighton playing a bit deeper and having less of the ball than he is used to at PSV. That will be challenging, but that's not to say he won't handle it.

On making the move to the Premier League: "He should be able to handle a move to the Premier League. It is spoken about how hard it can be for Dutch league players but he comes in and improves this Brighton team. He is physical and has enough about him to handle this.

"Boscagli will want European football. Brighton will too but Boscagli will also want the Premier League adventure. He won't be expecting to be battling relegation. He has played in the Champions League and the Europa League before.

"I hope that Brighton fans realise the statement of this signing. It is a free transfer - but he has all this experience and is a really good defender."

More on Boscagli from 14'00 on Albion Unlimited

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Fabian Hurzeler says Olivier Boscagli's versatility will be an asset to Brighton after the defender signed on a five-year deal from PSV.

Boscagli, 27, won Dutch titles in 2024 and 2025, registering 43 appearances in all competitions for PSV last season before his contract expired at the end of last month.

"We're delighted to welcome Olivier to Brighton," said Hurzeler.

"He has got a lot of experience with PSV and we like his versatility. He can play in several positions and we feel it is important to have these players in our squad. We are looking forward to working with him."

Boscagli - capped to under-21 level with France - operated as a left-back and central defender for PSV.

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Former Albion striker Warren Aspinall has been speaking to BBC Radio Sussex about Joao Pedro's legacy at Brighton given his impending move to Chelsea: "Pedro will be remembered somewhere in between a bold maverick and the impulsive hothead.

"He has got that spark and hot fuse in him and that is what let him down in the tussle with Jan Paul van Hecke on the training ground. He can produce moments that win games but I have also seen him do some bad things as well. I have seen him throwing his hands up in the air. He does that too often.

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"He lets fire get to his concentration - we saw that at Brentford last season. You have to weigh up the pros and cons for him and I think this is a great deal for Brighton. You don't want a bad egg in your dressing room. He is selfish on the pitch and complains when the ball doesn't come to him. You can see all of those traits and you don't want that upsetting the dressing room.

"This group of players at Brighton are close-knit on and off the pitch - the fans, the players, the staff. It's a family. You don't need someone upsetting the apple cart.

"If he thinks he is better than the other players at Brighton, he should be bringing them up not dragging them down. We'll see how good he is when he goes to Chelsea, if he thinks he is better than Brighton. It will be a big ask."

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Brighton chief executive Paul Barber says Joao Pedro's move to Chelsea is a "disappointment" but believes that when a player wants to move, it is important to find a "plan that suits everybody".

The Brazil international signed for a then club-record £30m from Watford in 2023 and after scoring 30 goals in 70 games for the Seagulls has now moved to Stamford Bridge for £60m.

"Joao leaving us is a disappointment in many ways but at the same time we've realised the significant profit made on Joao from the signing we made from Watford," Barber told BBC Radio Sussex.

"We've had two great seasons from him, a lot of goals, a lot of great memories. We wish him well. He's been a great player for us while he's been here.

"Joao has been given a chance to play in the Champions League. When you've got ambitions to play in a World Cup as he has next summer with his country, he's going to need and want to push to play at the highest possible level.

"We know from previous experience when players are in that mindset sometimes its better to talk to Fabian [Hurzeler], talk to Tony [Bloom], talk to David [Weir] and come up with a plan that suits everybody. It doesn't have to just suit the player - it needs to suit the club as well.

"In this case, I think the value we've achieved, the timing and the players we've bought in, all works for us as well as him. As I say, I wish him well."

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Brighton have confirmed Argentina international Valentin Barco has completed a permanent switch to Ligue 1 side Strasbourg.

Barco signed for the Seagulls for £7.87m on a four-and-a-half-year deal from Boca Juniors in January 2024 but spent the first half of last season on loan at Sevilla.

The 20-year-old was then loaned to Strasbourg in January, making 15 appearances to help Liam Rosenior's side qualify for the Conference League.

He departs Brighton having made seven appearances for the club.

Technical director David Weir, said: "This is a move that suits all parties, and we wish Valentin the best of luck for the future."

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Brighton head coach Fabian Hurzeler says the sale of Joao Pedro to Chelsea represents "a good move for all parties".

The Brazilian - who joined the Seagulls for £30m in 2023 - has moved to Stamford Bridge in a deal worth £60m.

In May, Pedro missed Brighton's final game of the season against Tottenham because of his involvement in a "small issue" during training.

"It's an excellent deal for the club, and a good return on a significant investment in an area of the pitch where we have a lot of competition and are already well served in terms of our attacking talent," said Hurzeler.

"It's also an exciting move for Joao. It gives him the opportunity to play Champions League football this coming season, and he will of course be keen to cement his position in the Brazil team ahead of the World Cup next summer.

"Joao has given us some wonderful moments - during my time and before I came to the club - so, on behalf of everyone, I would like to thank him for his service over the past two seasons and wish him the best for the future."

Pedro said: "I want to thank you all for the past two years we've been together, and for all the support and great memories that we created. It was a pleasure and a privilege to work with this team."

What do you think about the deal? Get in touch here with your thoughts