Image source, Getty ImagesJames Milner is set to appear in his 23rd different Premier League season, which would be a new outright competition record.
He would surpass Ryan Giggs' record of 22 if he features against Everton. At 38 years and 226 days old, he will also become Brighton's oldest ever Premier League player.
Katie Stafford
BBC Sport journalist
Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premier League game against Everton (15:00 BST).
Here are the key lines from his news conference:
There are no new injury concerns ahead of the opening game but he is "not sure" whether the players who returned from international duties this week will be ready to start.
He is "very excited" for the season to start and, after a good pre-season, to get his ideas over on the players.
On goals for this season: "We will try to push our limits. The Premier League is very competitive but with our squad's potential and the fans' support, we could achieve something special and make it a season to remember."
He said by not competing in Europe this season "you get more time on the pitch with the players and can focus more on the process" but added: "Europe is always a dream for every player and they want to have that feeling back."
On his personal ambitions: "I arrived here to help the team and make the club successful. I love to work and improve players by putting in all my passion with my staff. It is never a one-man show, I need my staff."
In response to whether it is overwhelming to be the youngest top-flight manager: "I can do the thing I love and that is why I don’t think about my age. I want to challenge for every opportunity we get here. Football is like a day job, so you have to win it day to day and then there will be tomorrow."
He described new signing Brajan Gruda as someone "who can do special things and make a difference" but he "will need time to integrate" before being ready for the Premier League.
On the reported deal for Georginio Rutter from Leeds: "I am very happy with the squad we already have, but our job is to search for players who fit our profile and style. If it might fit then we will see what happens, but until a player is here then I will not say anything."
Follow all of Thursday's Premier League news conferences
Image source, Getty ImagesBrighton boss Fabian Hurzeler said Brajan Gruda is a player with "big potential" after the Seagulls confirmed the signing of the Germany Under-21 international in a £25m deal from Mainz on Wednesday.
"I'm really pleased to get the opportunity to work with Brajan," Hurzeler said. "I saw the big impact he made last season in the Bundesliga and he's a player I admire a lot.
"The Premier League will be a different challenge but I'm looking forward to working with Brajan and helping to develop his big potential."
Technical director David Weir added: "He's a player we have been tracking for a while and he's already played at a really good level in the Bundesliga. He is a player Fabian knows well and is really looking forward to working with."
Meanwhile, Ghana international winger Ibrahim Osman - who joined Brighton earlier this summer - has signed for Dutch club Feyenoord on a season-long loan.
It's that time of the year again - the annual act of foolishness in which I try to predict the outcome of the 2024-25 season for all 20 Premier League clubs.
Brighton - 12th
Brighton's season rather fizzled out in the final days of the charismatic Roberto de Zerbi and, in keeping with the club's approach, he has been replaced by the intriguing appointment of the Premier League's youngest-ever permanent manager in 31-year-old Fabian Hurzeler, fresh from leading St Pauli into the Bundesliga.
Hurzeler takes over a talented squad, with the return of exciting Japan star Kaoru Mitoma a huge lift. He will also hope young striker Evan Ferguson can fulfil his rich potential in an attack also boasting Joao Pedro and Simon Adingra.
Yankuba Minteh and Ibrahim Osman add threat, although the loss of cult hero Pascal Gross will be felt.
Hurzeler will also hope Brighton can fend off overtures from Napoli for Billy Gilmour so he can figure in midfield along with new £25m signing Mats Wieffer from Feyenoord.
This may not be the top-six season of a couple of years back but Brighton are always so watchable and will be again. A trip to Amex Stadium is never a wasted one.
Napoli are also close to signing 23-year-old Scotland midfielder Billy Gilmour from Brighton. (Corriere dello Sport - in Italian), external
Want more transfer stories? Read Thursday's full gossip column
Image source, Getty ImagesThe draw for the second round of the Carabao Cup has been made.
Here is the list of the ties - which are split into southern and northern sections - involving Premier League clubs:
South
AFC Wimbledon v Ipswich Town
Brighton & Hove Albion v Crawley Town
Birmingham City v Fulham
Cardiff City v Southampton
Colchester United v Brentford
Crystal Palace v Norwich City
West Ham United v Bournemouth
North
Everton v Doncaster Rovers
Nottingham Forest v Newcastle United
Leicester City v Tranmere Rovers
Wolverhampton Wanderers v Burnley
The games will take place in w/c 26 August.
Chris Collinson
BBC Sport football statistician
With their first foray into Europe to enjoy, Brighton were not as impressive in the Premier League last season as when they finished sixth in 2022-23. In fact, Albion scored 17 fewer goals and conceded nine more.
However, their underlying numbers in terms of shots and expected goals - while still worse than the previous season - were better than goals suggest. This means that while he may have a bit of work to do at both ends of the pitch, new head coach Fabian Hurzeler inherits good foundations.
One thing that did not change over the past two campaigns was how much Brighton dominated the ball. This trend will likely continue as their young boss' St Pauli side enjoyed the second-most possession in the German second tier last season.
Image source, Getty ImagesThe draw for the second round of the Carabao Cup will take place on Wednesday at the conclusion of the first-round tie between Leeds United and Middlesbrough.
Thirteen Premier League clubs will enter in the second round, as will Luton Town and Burnley, who were relegated from the top flight in 18th and 19th positions last season.
The draw for round two will be regionalised into northern and southern sections.
The seven Premier League clubs playing in European competitions in 2024-25, including Carabao Cup holders Liverpool, will come in at the third-round stage.
The key dates for the competition are as follows:
Second round - w/c 26 August
Third round - w/c 16 and w/c 23 September
Fourth round - w/c 28 October
Quarter-finals - w/c 16 December
Semi-finals - w/c 6 January (first leg) and w/c 3 February
Final - 16 March
Follow Wednesday's action and then the full draw here from 19:30 BST
Image source, Getty ImagesAt Wednesday's Brighton fans' forum broadcast live on BBC Radio Sussex, new head coach Fabian Hurzeler was asked about how the club will attempt to avoid a repeat of the injury problems that affected the squad last season.
"Of course we have to be careful and get opinions from the players about how fast we can go with our identity and how fast we can introduce the intensity during training sessions and games," Hurzeler said.
"I know there were some injuries [last season], and there are always several reasons why injuries happen. For me, it's important to have great experts in the staff - we have some changes and I completely trust my staff.
"I have worked with them for six weeks and I really feel their knowledge and passion for the club. In the end, I always take responsibility on my side if injuries happen because I control the training and the intensity of training.
"They should take responsibility for the things they do and make brave decisions, because they always should know that I value them, and if something happens I take the responsibility myself."
Listen to the full fans' forum on BBC Sounds
Image source, Getty ImagesAt Wednesday's Brighton fans' forum broadcast live on BBC Radio Sussex, deputy chairman Paul Barber was asked about how the club will attempt to avoid a repeat of the injury problems that affected the squad last season.
"Last season was very different for a number of reasons," he explained. "Firstly the number of games we played, the intensity of those games [and] the fact that added time was absolute so we were playing games that were 10-15% longer.
"To put that in the context of any other athlete: if you were training for a marathon and during that marathon someone told you it would be another three or four miles, the chances are you might break down in those last few miles.
"A whole combination of things came into play last season. It was the first time we'd played in four top-level competitions and we learned a lot, our medical staff learned a lot, Roberto [de Zerbi] and his staff I'm sure learned a lot. So there were a number of different factors on why the injury list was longer than we would have liked.
"We could even go back to the [2022] World Cup in the winter, which meant the players had a shorter break the following summer. They are not excuses, they're just facts.
"Every club in the Premier League had more injuries overall, we all lost minutes from key players at key times. We are conditioning players now to work in the way Fabian wants and we've hired some world-class medical staff to support us."
Image source, Getty ImagesBBC World Service introduce you to the five bosses who will be making their managerial debuts in the Premier League this season in a special podcast on BBC Sounds.
Sportsworld’s John Bennett is joined by German football podcaster Matthew Karagich to discuss Brighton's new head coach Fabian Hurzeler.
"In the space of 18 months he turned St. Pauli, a team on the verge of relegation, to not only promotion candidates but champions of Bundesliga 2," said Karagich. "It’s been quite a quick rise for him.
"He was the assistant coach under Timo Schultz at St. Pauli and then when St. Pauli departed from Schultz, I suppose for a lot of outsiders Hurzeler was relatively unknown.
"But we saw someone who was able to instil a lot of confidence. One thing you could say about them is they had a never-say-die attitude - they would always just have a go. There should be a lot of excitement as we now get to see, in arguably the best league in the world, what someone of his age and stature can accomplish.
"He’s got a mix of footballing philosophies. The Bayern DNA played a bit of a pivotal role in his upbringing as a player, and he’s implemented that as a coach. He wants to dominate the ball."
"He’s pretty unique. I would say he’s not your typical what you would picture a manager to be. He’s not a suit-and-tie operator - he’s a tracksuit-and-white- trainers.
Listen to the Introducing the Premier League’s new managers podcast on BBC Sounds
Image source, Getty ImagesFabian Hurzeler became the Premier League's youngest permanent manager when, aged 31, he took charge of Brighton earlier this summer.
Hurzeler joined the Seagulls having won promotion to the Bundesliga with St Pauli last season.
At Wednesday's Brighton fans' forum broadcast live on BBC Radio Sussex, Hurzeler was asked if he wanted to make a statement like other German coaches have done previously in England, and also whether he viewed the Seagulls as a "stepping stone" in his career or if he was ready to "make a change" at Brighton.
"I'm here for the success of the club," said Hurzeler. "I don't have to shine individually. I want to improve players and the squad. I will give everything I have to this club and for the success of this club. We can achieve things together.
"I don't see myself as most important. It is more about giving my knowledge and my passion to the players and the club and to you [supporters]."
Hurzeler was asked for a message to supporters before the club's opening Premier League game at Everton on Saturday.
"Like I said at the beginning, this feels more like a community and family than a football club," he said. "This family and this togetherness will be key to our success.
"Thank you for giving me this feeling. We are all sitting together in the same boat. I try to get the view of most of you because you represent and support the club.
"If we are on the same page and follow one big goal with everything we have, I think we can achieve big things."
Brighton have made an approach for 26-year-old French defender Olivier Boscagli, but PSV Eindhoven want much more than Albion have offered. (Eindhovens Dagblad - in Dutch), external
Want more transfer news? Read Wednesday's full gossip column
Image source, Getty ImagesListen back as BBC Radio Sussex presents a Brighton fans' forum, with new head coach Fabian Hurzeler and deputy chairman Paul Barber answering questions before the Seagulls return to Premier League action on Saturday.
You can listen on BBC Sounds here
Scott McCarthy
Fan writer
Where will you finish in the league and why?
Absolutely no idea. My suspicion, though, is that it will be sink or swim.
Fabian Hurzeler is either going to have Brighton challenging for Europe again and everyone praising the genius of Tony Bloom for appointing him. Or Sami Hyypia Version 2. Nothing in between.
Who is the best signing or has he not signed yet and who should it be?
Having been bitten in the past by the likes of Jurgen Locadia and Alireza Jahanbakhsh, I am always a bit wary of making signings based what they did in the Eredivisie.
But Yankuba Minteh seems to have brought his form on loan at Feyenoord last year to Brighton in pre-season so far. Newcastle's loss can be the Seagulls' gain.
What do you want from your manager this season?
Fireworks, a la Roberto de Zerbi. After sacking Gus Poyet in 2013, every appointment Bloom made until De Zerbi was someone he could trust not to go berserk in public. Hopefully Hurzeler is going to keep up the entertainment rather than be a return to the geography teacher demeanour of Graham Potter.
Who will be the breakout star in your squad?
"Then I saw his face... it's Carlos Baleba!" Showed glimpses of potential last season, a hybrid of Moises Caicedo for reading the game and Yves Bissouma for ball-carrying.
Hurzeler used a dynamic midfielder as a libero at St Pauli, who would push into midfield from defence when they had possession. Baleba looks tailor-made for such a role.
What is your one major concern?
Pascal Gross leaving. He scored or assisted 17 goals last season, nearly 25% of Brighton's total. How do you replace that? Him joining Dortmund is the most upset I have been since EastEnders killed off Ronnie and Roxy Mitchell.
Scott McCarthy can be found at We Are Brighton, external
Simon Stone
Chief football news reporter
Image source, Getty ImagesBrighton are in talks with Mainz’s highly-rated German Under-21 international Brajan Gruda over a £25m move to the Premier League.
Sources say there is still work to do on the deal but there is optimism at Brighton that the transfer will be completed and Gruda will sign a long-term contract.
The 20-year-old was tipped to make Germany’s Euro 2024 squad but his hopes were dashed by a calf injury.
Gruda was heavily linked with a move to Bayern Munich earlier this summer but Brighton now appear to be heading the chase to sign him, with new boss Fabian Hurzeler known to be a big fan.
On Tuesday night you can listen to the Brighton fans' forum on BBC Radio Sussex from 1900 BST. You can access it live here.
After a long summer break, BBC Radio 5 Live's Monday Night Club is back in action this evening.
Tune in as the panel cover all the major talking points from the summer and look ahead to Premier League football returning at the weekend.
Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds
Image source, Getty ImagesThe curtain opens on the 2024-25 Premier League season in just a matter of days, so why not take a look at how all 20 clubs performed in pre-season?
The games have been spread across the globe, from Tokyo and New York to Crawley and Preston.
Image source, Getty ImagesThe six-player shortlist for the PFA Young Player of the Year award have been announced.
Chelsea's Cole Palmer, 22, is the favourite after enjoying an excellent Premier League season, scoring 22 goals and providing 11 assists.
Bukayo Saka, also 22, of Arsenal makes the list after another fine season and standout performances for England during their run to the Euro 2024 final.
Representing Manchester United on the shortlist are Kobbie Mainoo, 19, and Alejandro Garnacho, 20 - the team's FA Cup final goalscorers.
They are joined by Michael Olise, 22, who moved from Crystal Palace to Bayern Munich this summer, and Brighton and Hove Albion's Joao Pedro, 22, who scored 20 goals in all competitions.
Shortlist for Men's PFA Young Player of the Year
Cole Palmer
Bukayo Saka
Kobbie Mainoo
Alejandro Garnacho
Michael Olise
Joao Pedro
The winners will be announced at the PFA Awards ceremony in Manchester on August 20.
We asked for your thoughts after Saturday's pre-season friendly between Brighton and Villarreal.
Here are some of your comments:
Shiny: They looked like a team of players that wanted to be part of the squad. All played their part in a very entertaining performance, the amount of effort put in was way beyond what you’d expect from a friendly. The future looks bright.
Will: Amazing. I seriously believe they will make Champions League.
Andrew: First half the defence looked porous and I'm trying to understand the tactical plan. But some very flexible play where players must have great trust in each other. It won't be boring this season. Deep breath and here we go!
Sam: Exciting times. We will score a load and concede a load too. High octane stuff that will keep fans on the edge of their seats. Cannot wait for Everton next week!
Hugh: Against Villarreal this looked like peak Brighton from the start of the previous season. Free flowing, crisp passing and constant harrying of opponents. Some defensive mistakes here and there but this was a good side they were up against who also offered plenty of attacking threat. What a front four Pedro, Minteh, Mitoma and Welbeck are!
Image source, PA MediaBrighton rounded off their pre-season campaign with a resounding victory over La Liga side Villareal at Amex Stadium.
Two goals from Danny Welbeck and one apiece from Joao Pedro and Yankuba Minteh warmed Albion up nicely for next week's opening Premier League fixture against Everton.
What did you make of the performance?
And what are your first impressions of Fabian Hurzeler's reign?
Let us know your thoughts here, external - and return on Monday to read the submissions
