Brighton squad 2024-25 is strongest in Albion history

So, who saw the Albion being the biggest net spending club in the world in the summer 2024 transfer window? Brighton paid out £193 million in an unprecedented spree necessitating an updated analysis of a heavily revised squad for 2024-25, surely the strongest in the club’s history.

Goalkeepers

Fabian Hurzeler has confirmed the days ofgoalkeeper rotation which we saw under Roberto De Zerbi are now over. “For me it is clear we will have a number one, there will be clear roles for them. I will be straight with my communication to them.”

With Jason Steele dropped to the bench for the 1-1 draw at Arsenal despite doing nothing wrong in the opening two Premier League games, the pecking order appears clear.

Bart Verbruggen will be number one. Steele reverts to number two, playing cup competitions. Killian Cahill fills the number three role. Carl Rushworth, Kjell Scherpen, James Beadle and Tom McGill all spend the season out on loan.

If Rushworth continues to be the best goalkeeper in the Championship for the second campaign running, it is likely he will either leave next summer or replace Verbruggen should the Dutch number one attract interest from bigger clubs.

Right Backs

Ferdi Kadioglu played more as a left back than right back with Fenerbahce. Hurzeler has been coy on where he sees the Turkish international fitting in at Brighton, saying: “He is predominantly a full-back and can play on the right or left side; he can also play in the centre of midfield.”

The expectation is Brighton intend right back to be Kadioglu’s starting position. Alongside the £25 million signing, there are several other options for the role.

Joel Veltman has started the season well. Jack Hinshelwood impressed at right back last season. Tariq Lamptey will be looking to prove himself entering the final year of his contract.

Sky Sports reported Lamptey was one of three players – along with Mahmoud Dahoud and Jakub Moder – the club were looking to move on deadline day.

Solly March and Carlos Baleba could also do a job at right back, highlighting the versatility running throughout the 2024-25 Brighton squad.

Hurzeler has spoken of the possibility using Baleba as a full back: “He is an option to play there. Against the ball he is very athletic. He has good speed; he is good one-against-one and with the ball.”

“He can play very good vertical passes and he can create a dynamic from further back, because of his dynamic runs.”

Left Backs

Back from injury, Pervis Estupinan is likely to be the starting left back based on Hurzeler’s enthusing over his ability.

“I think when he is his best shape, he’s one of the best left backs in the Premier League. He’s full of energy. He’s full of power.”

In the absence of Estupinan through the opening weeks of the season, Hinshelwood has covered left back. Lamptey, Baleba and March have all played there before.

Imari Samuels and Jacob Slater provide conceivable further back up from the Brighton 2024-25 Premier League 2 squad.

Centre Backs

Lewis Dunk and Jan Paul van Hecke have started the season as the first choice pairing. Adam Webster, Igor and Veltman provided backup.

At St Pauli, Hurzeler played a 3-4-3 formation which included a defensive midfielder playing as the middle defender of the back three. Should Hurzeler use that tactic with Brighton in 2024-25, Baleba is the squad member who looks most suited to it.

Another centre back was seemingly on the Albion’s wish list for the summer 2024 transfer window. Attempts were made to bring in 26-year-old Olivier Boscagli from PSV Eindhoven.

Boscagli was pushing for the move and despite being in the last year of his contract, PSV turned down the reported £10 million offer. The Albion may well return for Boscagli in January.

German World Cup winning defender Mats Hummels was another player Brighton were interested in. He now looks set to sign for Roma instead.

Ed Turns, Noel Atom and Samuels provide development options.

Central Midfield

Midfield has been a huge area of change in the Brighton squad going into the 2024-25 season. Pascal Gross has left for Borussia Dortmund and Billy Gilmour joined Napoli on the final day of the transfer window.

Most fans had assumed that an ankle injury keeping new signing Matt O’Riley out for many months meant the Albion would keep Gilmour.

Andy Naylor at The Athletic, however, has argued that Gilmour’s style does not suit what Hurzeler seeks from a midfield player, explaining why Brighton were happy to sell for a very low fee of £12 million plus £4 million in possible add-ons.

Naylor wrote: “Hurzeler’s preference is for athletic, box-to-box midfielders — often tall — who can operate spaced apart from each other to help stretch the play to potent wingers.”

With Gilmour gone, Brighton do currently look a little light in midfield due to injuries. O’Riley’s fellow new signings Mats Wieffer and Brajan Gruda are also in the treatment room with “minor problems” and James Milner awaits a scan on an injured hamstring.

The Albion found themselves reliant on two 20-year-olds against Arsenal, Baleba and Yasin Ayari playing together for 75 minutes at the Emirates Stadium.

Jakub Moder remains a part of the 2024-25 squad, although his future at Brighton remains uncertain. The injury list may give him an unexpected opportunity, whilst Hinshelwood and Kadioglu can provide cover.

January will see the addition of 21-year-old Paraguay international Diego Gomez from Inter Miami. The midfielder confirmed to reporters in his home nation that a deal has been agreed for him to arrive at the Amex once the MLS season is over.

It was also all change in the Brighton development squad for 2024-25. Kacper Kozlowski, Jensen Weir and Marc Leonard all left on permanent transfers.

Birmingham City paid £500,000 for Leonard. Given his performances over the last two seasons in League One and his potential, it was somewhat surprising the Albion did not seek a further loan in the Championship to assess his ability at a higher level before opting to sell.

Number 10s and wingers

After that spell last season when Roberto De Zerbi had to cope without any available wingers, Brighton now have more wide players than they are ever likely to need.

Hence why all of Ibrahim Osman (Feyenoord), Facundo Buanonotte (Leicester City), Jeremy Sarmiento (Burnley), Amario Cozier-Duberry (Blackburn), Andy Moran (Stoke) and Abdallah Sima (Brest) have all departed on loan.

Kaoru Mitoma has started the campaign on the left with Yankubu Minteh down the right and Joao Pedro at number 10. Simon Adingra, Julio Enciso and Georginio Rutter have all been used from the bench.

Gruda and March will provide further options when they are available after injury. Cam Peupion, Adrian Mazilu and Josh Duffus fill the roles in the development squad.

Strikers

Danny Welbeck continues to do an excellent job leading the line as Evan Ferguson works his way back from the surgery he underwent towards the end of last season.

Pedro, Rutter and Enciso all provide a different type of centre forward option to Welbeck and Ferguson. Josh Duffus meanwhile already has seven goals for the Under 21s this season and appears one to keep an eye on.

The promising Mark O’Mahony netted his first senior goal in the League Cup win over Crawley Town and has since joined Portsmouth on loan.

Peter Finn