Detailed Brighton and Hove Albion Season Preview: Insights and Prediction

Where did Brighton Finish Last Season?

Heading out for a hot training session! ☀️ pic.twitter.com/sMIqO5WTdL

— Brighton & Hove Albion (@OfficialBHAFC) July 11, 2025

So unfortunate to not qualify for some form of European football, Brighton continued their upward trend in the Premier League with an impressive 8th placed finish, their tally of 61 points just one off their record points total set in 2022/23.

The trio of Danny Welbeck, Joao Pedro and Kaoru Mitoma thrived throughout Brighton’s excellent campaign, stepping up when others went off the boil, and all three netted 10 goals apiece, one of just three teams to boast three players with 10 or more goals.

In defence too they impressed, with Jan Paul van Hecke becoming an ever more important figure in the Seagulls backline. However, they were plagued by injuries - new signings Ferdi Kadioglu and Matt O’Riley, along with existing players including Adam Webster and Lewis Dunk, suffered long spells on the sidelines, severely hindering Brighton’s ability to compete for European football.

They will want everyone fit and firing at the start of the new season - with a clean bill of health, Brighton’s squad is one of the most talented in the league.

Best Result: Brighton 4-0 Southampton (Pedro 23', Rutter 56', Mitoma 71', Hinshelwood 82')

Worst Result: Nottingham Forest 7-0 Brighton (Dunk OG 12', Gibbs-White 25', Wood 32', 64', 69', Williams 89', Silva 90+1')

Who Have Brighton Signed in the Summer Window Transfer So Far?

Charalampos Kostoulas from Olympiacos - £29.8 Million

Maxim De Cuyper from Club Brugge - £17.2 Million + £4.3 Million Add Ons

Tom Watson from Sunderland - £10 Million

Diego Coppola from Hellas Verona - £9 Million

Do-Young Yoon from Daejeon Hana Citizen - £1.7 Million

Olivier Boscagli from PSV Eindhoven - Free Transfer

Total Spent: £67.7 Million + £4.3 Million in Potential Add Ons

Who Have Brighton Sold in the Summer Transfer Window So Far?

Joao Pedro to Chelsea - £55 Million + £5 Million Add Ons

Simon Adingra to Sunderland - £18 Million + £2.5 Million Add Ons

Julio Enciso to RC Strasbourg - £17.3 Million

Pervis Estupinan to AC Milan - £17 Million

Valentin Barco to RC Strasbourg Alsace - Loan made permanent for £8.6 Million

Tariq Lamptey to Fiorentina - £6 Million

Abdullah Sima to RC Lens - 3.8 Million

Kjell Scherpen to Union St. Gilloise - £2 Million

Odeluga Offiah to Preston North End - £1.5 Million

Jamie Mullins to Wycombe Wanderers - Undisclosed Fee

Louis Flower to Crawley Town - Free Transfer

Evan Ferguson to AS Roma - Season long loan with Option to Buy

Igor Julio to West Ham - Season long loan with Option to Buy

Matt O'Riley to Olympique Marseille - Season long loan

Amario Cozier-Duberry to Bolton Wanderers - Season Long Loan

Jacob Slater to Harrogate Town - Six month loan

Jeremy Sarmiento to Cremonense - Season long loan

Andrew Moran to LAFC - Season long loan

Facundo Buonanotte to Chelsea - Season long loan

Malick Yalcouye to Swansea City - Season long loan

Charlie Penman to Aldershot Town - Season long loan

Kamari Doyle to Reading - Season long loan

Carl Rushworth to Coventry City - Season long loan

Caylan Vickers to Barnsley - Season long loan

Eiran Cashin to Birmingham City - Season long loan

Yoon-Do Young to Excelsior Rotterdam - Season long loan

Mark O'Mahoney to Reading - Season long loan

Ibrahim Osman to AJ Auxerre - Season Long Loan with Option to Buy

James Beadle to Birmingham City - Season long loan

Total Recieved: £125.4 Million + £7.5 Million in Potential Add Ons

Brighton and Hove Albion 2025/26 Squad List

Goalkeepers: Bart Verbruggen, Jason Steele.

Defenders: Diego Coppola, Maxim De Cuyper, Olivier Boscagli, Adam Webster, Lewis Dunk, Eiran Cashin, Ferdi Kadioglu, Jan Paul van Hecke, Joel Veltman, Jack Hinshelwood.

Midfielders: Mats Wieffer, Charalampos Kostoulas, Malick Yalcouye, James Milner, Georginio Rutter, Carlos Baleba, Diego Gomez, Yasin Ayari.

Attackers: Stefanos Tzimas, Tom Watson, Solly March, Brajan Gruda, Yankuba Minteh, Danny Welbeck, Kaoru Mitoma.

Brighton and Hove Albion 2025/26 Home, Away and Third Kits

Brighton & Hove Albion have unveiled their new Home kit for the 25/26 season, produced by Nike.

The shirt retains the club's classic blue and white colours, now including hyper turq accents for the first time on a home kit. #BHAFC pic.twitter.com/xcVbJsafZB

— Football Shirt Culture (@footballshirt) July 1, 2025

Brighton & Hove Albion have launched their new Nike Away kit for the 25/26 season.

The design features a dual-tone purple colour with a wide central stripe, complemented by sleeve edging and a side stripe in matching shades. #BHAFC #nikefootball pic.twitter.com/yqrtArqZd6

— Football Shirt Culture (@footballshirt) July 2, 2025

No third kit confirmed

What is Brighton and Hove Albion’s Opening Premier League Fixture?

Brighton vs Fulham | The American Express Stadium, Brighton | Saturday, August 16th, 15:00

How Can I Watch Brighton vs Fulham?

As of the time of writing, the game will not be shown on TV in England - however, it will likely be shown on foreign channels such as Supersport.

What Are Brighton’s Opening Five Fixtures of the Season?

Brighton vs Fulham - Saturday, August 16th

Everton vs Brighton - Sunday, August 24th.

Brighton vs Manchester City - Sunday, August 31st.

Bournemouth vs Brighton - Saturday, September 13th.

Brighton vs Tottenham - Saturday September 20th.

When Do Brighton Play Rivals Crystal Palace in 2025/26?

Known as the M23 Derby, it is one of the more unusual rivalries in the Premier League. Fuelled by clashes between managers Terry Venables (Crystal Palace) and Alan Mullery (Brighton) in the 70’s as both teams competed in the third division, this history has provided some electric games in recent years.

Crystal Palace vs Brighton - TBC.

Brighton vs Crystal Palace - TBC.

Last Five Meetings:

- 05/04/2025: Crystal Palace 2-1 Brighton.

- 15/12/2024: Brighton 1-3 Crystal Palace.

- 03/02/2024: Brighton 4-1 Crystal Palace.

- 21/12/2023: Crystal Palace 1-1 Brighton.

- 15/03/2023: Brighton 1-0 Crystal Palace.

Who is Brighton’s Manager for 2025/26?

Fabian Hurzeler says Brighton try to keep their best players and believes Kaoru Mitoma is an important part of the Seagulls' setup 🔵⚪ pic.twitter.com/bXZIIz5eYj

— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) July 2, 2025

After a solid first campaign in charge of the Seagulls, Fabian Hurzeler once again leads his white and blue warriors into battle. The youngest coach in the league by some margin, the 33-year-old showed there is more to management than having a wealth of experience.

A vocal coach, he was given a touchline ban on two occasions, both before the turn of the year - however, he seems to have dialled back his approach since, quickly learning the ins and outs of the Premier League disciplinary panel. A good thing too, as Brighton are at times unplayable with him at pitchside.

Preferring a 4-2-3-1 formation, mixing exciting youth with sturdy experience, Hurzeler has all the tools to become a Premier League success story. Should Brighton get the recruitment right this summer, something they usually get spot on, then they could become favourites for a Europa League spot next season.

Who is Brighton’s Player to Watch?

Carlos Baleba

Brighton’s replacement for the £100 Million man Chelsea man Moises Caicedo, Baleba has slotted in so well that many Brighton fans will surely be questioning whether Caicedo ever left, or has simply been reincarnated in the body of the Cameroonian international.

Sit back, relax and enjoy EVERY angle of Carlos Baleba's wonder goal against West Ham... 😮‍💨🔥 pic.twitter.com/3RxoivJEkT

— Brighton & Hove Albion (@OfficialBHAFC) April 28, 2025

A formidable opponent in a 50/50 duel, he is also a presence in attack, notching four goals from midfield, including a goal of the season contender against West Ham, as well as two assists, exhibiting his finesse in attack as well as his brute force in defence.

One of the first names on the team sheet, Baleba is a vital cog in Hurzeler’s young side - a midfield general, a nuisance in attack, and a brick wall in defence, he could well be in line for a Caicedo-esque move in the next two months.

Brighton and Hove Albion Season Prediction

Fabian Hurzeler appears to be following an almost identical plan to former managers Roberto De Zerbi and Graham Potter - buy young, poorly known talent, develop them into superstars, and sell them for huge value a couple of years later, resetting the cycle.

Having already purchased greek teenager Kostoulas, Romanian starlet Adrian Mazliu and play-off final winning 19-year-old Tom Watson this transfer window, there are no signs that Brighton are willing to depart from their vision - it is one that has earned them huge profit, and has allowed the Seagulls to slowly build their own squad into a threatening unit that is potential just one or two players away from becoming a top four side. Though the departures of Joao Pedro, Pervis Estupinan and Simon Adingra leave sizeable holes in the squad, the club negotiated so much money for their transfers that finding replacements should be a breeze.

The only problem they keep coming up against is inconsistency - with a young squad, fluctuating performance levels are part and parcel of the game. While the likes of Welbeck, Mitoma and Dunk all provide older, more experienced heads, the large majority of the clubs transfer business lacks significant first team football - it will be another solid season, but at some point, Hurzeler's side will encounter the same issues this season.

Football Park's Prediction: 9th