There was plenty of discussion about what Brighton and Hove Albion needed from the summer 2016 transfer window and there have been plenty of grumbles about just five first team signings coming in.

But on the face of it, a squad that secured enough points in virtually any other season to guarantee automatic promotion and missed out on going up by just two goals didn't require major surgery. In fact the best business the club have done is keeping all the players they wanted to keep here, with bids and interest for Anthony Knockaert, Lewis Dunk, Beram Kayal and Dale Stephens - even if the latter made it pretty clear he wanted to go - all being knocked back.

Players who ended up on the fringes of the side towards the end of last season such as Inigo Calderon, Gordon Greer, Bobby Zamora and Andrew Crofts have all departed and in their places have come big money and big name replacements, none more so than Glenn Murray who has already set about showing what a balls up Gus Poyet replacing him with Craig Mackail-Smith was in the first place.

We've broken our transfer record for Shane Duffy and would've smashed it even further had Alex Pritchard not got "stuck on the M25" and decided to go to Norwich City as a result. All in all that leaves a stronger squad than last seasons. The only nagging question remains - is it strong enough to repeat the trick in a better league and against the likes of Newcastle and Norwich City?

Here is the full list of ins and outs:

OUT:
	Inigo Calderon - Anthorsis Fagamusta One of the most popular players to pull on the stripes, it was a sad goodbye that left grown men crying he was released after over seven years of service. It hardly came as a surprise, the right back unable to find a way past the excellence of Bruno and he moves to Cypriot side Anthorsis.
	Gordon Greer - Blackburn Rovers Just like Calderon, another long serving player who age has caught up with. The defender lost his place around the turn of the year after injury and was never able to win it back, resulting in his release to join Blackburn. Will go down as one of the most successful captains in Albion history.
	Bobby Zamora - None Seven goals in 26 games was a good return for the veteran striker in his one season back with the club he made his name at. As expected, he struggled with injuries which led to his release and has since been unable to find a new club. To see him scoring regularly at The Amex was worth giving him a deal.
	Andrew Crofts - Charlton Athletic Given the excellence of Beram Kayal and Dale Stephens last season, it was understandable that he was unable to break into the side after three serious injuries in three seasons. Now reunited with Russell Slade, the man who bought him to the Albion in the first place, at Charlton.
	Danny Holla - None Looked like a fine signing during his first month in the club under Sami Hyypia in 2014 but once Chris Hughton arrived he was never able to get to grips with a two man central midfield. Played just twice last season and will probably return to the Netherlands once he can find a club.
	Jake Forster-Caskey - Rotherham United Another midfielder who has been unable to force his way into the side, the England under 21 international spent the majority of last season on loan at McDons who he was unable to help escape relegation. A similar deal has followed this year, where he will spend the year with Rotherham United.
	Chris O'Grady - Burton Albion One of the few remaining players on the Albion's books from the disastrous David Burke transfer era, the striker spent last year at Nottingham Forest where he seemingly did very little on loan and the journeyman theme continues with this season to be spent at Championship new boys Burton.
	Adam Chicksen - Charlton Athletic We were quite surprised to find out he made as many as 16 appearances in three seasons since joining from McDons seeing as he never managed to establish himself remotely near the first team. Hardly a surprise to see the young left back released and he too links up with Slade at Charlton.
Others released - Glenn Rea (Luton Town)

 

IN:
	Glenn Murray - AFC Bournemouth There were plenty of concerns about bringing the centre forward back - his injury record, the fact he'd played for Palace. But with three goals already this season and him thriving off playing in a side with two wingers, it's just highlighted what a cock up Gus Poyet made in letting him go.
	Steve Sidwell - Stoke City Spent the last few months of last season on-loan from Stoke City and as his match fitness improved, so did his performances. An experienced operator and still a class if ageing act at this level, he will provide valuable back up in the middle of the park this season.
	Shane Duffy - Blackburn Rovers The defender had an interesting start to the season at Blackburn, scoring twice, netting three own goals and being sent off in five games. Still that couldn't put the Albion off as we broke our transfer record by signing the Irishman for £4.5m to leave a ridiculous amount of quality at centre back.
	Oliver Norwood - Reading Another central midfield option, he arrived for an undisclosed seven figure fee from Reading. Looked like it was originally as a Dale Stephens replacement but with that transfer saga having ended with Stephens still an Albion player, it means we now have four quality players vying for midfield positions.
	Sebastien Pocognoli - West Bromich Albion Another long term injury to Liam Rosenior and Gaetan Bong looking slightly shaky since his return meant new left back cover was required to avoid the problems of December last year when we didn't have one. Hughton has learnt that lesson, bringing in the Belgian international on loan from West Brom.
	Sam Adekugbe - Vancouver Whitecaps Must be one of the only players in the country to have been loaned specifically for a clubs under 23 side. The Canadian international left back looks like he could force his way into the first team squad though, already having scored away at Oxford United in the EFL Cup.
	Ben Hall - Motherwell A regular in defence for Mark McGhee's Motherwell side last season, the youngster is seemingly highly rated and arrives initially for the under 23 squad. Could go one of two ways, given that both Chicksen (released) and Connor Goldson (bloody fantastic) followed similar paths.
	Tyler Hornby-Forbes - Fleetwood Mac Town Fleetwood's second choice right back was out of contract so being a young player we've had to pay compensation to bring him in. A strange signing on, either the Albion have seen something in him others have missed or they just wanted a player whose name sounds like a model railway.

Positives:	Negatives:	Rating:
Two more goals and we would've gone up automatically last season. Glenn Murray could be the man to put away some of those countless chances we missed Take Beram Kayal and Dale Stephens out of the side last season and we were buggered. The arrival of Steve Sidwell and Oliver Norwood will improve the quality of central midfield ten fold. All our best players from last season remain, despite understandable interest and some big money bids from other sides	Elvis Many looks to be fourth choice striker. A couple of injuries and suspensions and we might be a bit light up there Will Dale Stephens be the same force after being denied a dream move to Burnley? Not often you get to write "dream" and "Burnley" in the same sentence.	8.4 /10