Guardian writers’ predicted position: 8th (NB: this is not necessarily Ed Aarons’ prediction but the average of our writers’ tips)
Last season’s position: 8th
Prospects
Although Brighton missed out on qualifying for Europe again, there was a sense of optimism rather than disappointment at the end of Fabian Hürzeler’s first season at the helm. Had it not been for a costly loss of form in the spring that brought one point from four league games and a defeat by Nottingham Forest on penalties in the last eight of the FA Cup, the German head coach might even have matched his predecessor, Roberto De Zerbi’s achievement of finishing sixth.
After a raft of injuries to key players all season and with several signings from a summer spending spree of almost £200m struggling to settle, it was to Hürzeler’s credit that his team ended only one point short of Brighton’s record points tally from 2023 after three wins to round off the campaign. Now, in the words of chair Tony Bloom, with the youngest permanent Premier League manager having gained a year’s experience, “we are hoping for more next season”.
Brighton scored 66 goals – the joint fifth-highest in the division – so much will depend on strengthening a defence that conceded 59, with the emphasis this summer on finding a long-term replacement for the veteran captain Lewis Dunk as he enters the last year of his contract. Diego Coppola, an Italy Under-21 centre-back, and Olivier Boscagli, who arrived on a free transfer from PSV, will be joined by the exciting Belgium left-back Maxim De Cuyper as Hürzeler hopes to build a more settled unit.
The departure of João Pedro, who became the latest Brighton player to join Chelsea, has been offset by the signing of the highly regarded 18-year-old striker Charalampos Kostoulas. His fellow Greece Under-21 international Stefanos Tzimas and Sunderland’s playoff hero Tommy Watson will provide more attacking options for a squad that still includes the outstanding Kaoru Mitoma despite speculation he could depart and looks equipped to maintain a sustained push for Europe.
The manager
Hürzeler is guaranteed to wear his heart on his sleeve and has proved a hit with Brighton’s supporters after the popular De Zerbi’s departure. In an interview with British GQ in April, the 32-year-old revealed that he loves watches and Coldplay but never sits down in front of the television because there “are so many better things to do”. “I’m a big believer that the limit for our body is really high, and I think we don’t always try to push our limits,” he said. Brighton’s players should be well prepared for the start of the season in that case.
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Off-field picture
After a record-breaking 2022-23 that yielded profits of £112m, Brighton announced a £73.3m profit in March – largely a result of receiving another large chunk from the British record sale of Moisés Caicedo to Chelsea. João Pedro’s departure for £60m will help to balance the books after last summer’s massive outlay made them the biggest net spenders in Europe. Bloom, who bought 29% of the Scottish club Hearts in June, is estimated to have invested more than £400m at his home-town club since becoming chair in 2009. In April, the long-serving chief executive, Paul Barber, committed his future until 2030.
Star signing
Much is expected of Kostoulas after Brighton saw off interest from several other clubs, including Chelsea, to snap him up for an initial fee of almost £30m that could rise by £2m to make him the most expensive Greek player in history. Represented by the same agent who took Giannis Antetokounmpo to the NBA, he became the youngest player to make a professional appearance for Olympiakos when he represented their B team at 15 years and seven months, before he was part of the side that won the prestigious Uefa Youth League last year. Kostoulas will learn plenty from the evergreen Danny Welbeck, who finished as last season’s joint top scorer and turns 35 in November.
Stepping up
Bart Verbruggen, having strangely alternated with Jason Steele under De Zerbi, was preferred between the sticks by Hürzeler last season but the Dutchman made several costly errors. Nonetheless, a recent survey by the Swiss research group CIES Football Observatory identified the 22-year-old as potentially the world’s most valuable goalkeeper with a projected fee of £54m. Verbruggen, who joined Brighton in 2023 from Anderlecht for £16m, will need to show more consistency to retain Hürzeler’s faith, although the England Under-21 goalkeeper James Beadle was allowed to join Birmingham on loan rather than provide more competition for the Netherlands international.
