For the second time in four years, Brighton have a European campaign to look forward to in 2026/27.
The Seagulls finished eighth in the Premier League last season, securing Uefa Conference League football to go with their Europa League last-16 run of 2023/24.
Fabian Hurzeler has continued the great work of the likes of Graham Potter and Roberto De Zerbi, turning Brighton into top-half mainstays. But can they continue in that manner this time, and how prepared are they to return to continental action?
Are Brighton prepared for the Uefa Conference League?
| Transfer | Player | From/to |
| In | Luka Vuskovic Zadok Yohanna Pascal Struijk Costinha Michael Svoboda Rodrigo Rego | Tottenham AIK Leeds Olympiacos Venezia Benfica B |
| Out | Jan Paul van Hecke Carl Rushworth Diego Coppola Danny Welbeck Jeremy Sarmiento Joel Veltman Facundo Buonanotte Tommy Watson James Beadle Rodrigo Rego Do-young Yoon Adam Webster Solly March James Milner | Tottenham Coventry Paris FC Chelsea Middlesbrough West Ham Elche Leicester Birmingham Castellon Magdeburg Released Released Retired |
Brighton have made a few potentially shrewd depth signings so far this summer, with Pascal Struijk sure to add quality at centre-back and Michael Svoboda offering competition and rotation in that position. Costinha will also keep Mats Wieffer honest at right-back.
However, it’s once again their activity at the younger end of the market that has caught the attention, with the Seagulls shelling out major fees to sign Luka Vuskovic and Zadok Yohanna from Tottenham and AIK, respectively.
But while they have been busy bringing players in, many more have gone out. Jan Paul van Hecke is the headline transfer fee received after joining Tottenham, but Danny Welbeck’s shock move to Chelsea could also really hurt in the goalscoring department.
Elsewhere, serious experience and versatility have been taken out of the squad, with Joel Veltman, Adam Webster and Solly March leaving at the end of their contracts and James Milner retiring.
Hurzeler will have no depth issues to juggle in defence, with centre-back and full-back positions well-stocked. Further forward, however, Brighton look short of genuine winger competition, a certified goalscorer and reliable, quality midfield rotation options.
This could all come back to bite Brighton in the winter, when the Premier League demands increase alongside the Conference League and domestic cup competitions. With that in mind, Hurzeler will surely be looking to make a couple more quality signings before the summer window closes.
Brighton’s wing wizards
A hallmark of Brighton’s attacking identity has long been their devastating one-on-one ability on the flanks. In Kaoru Mitoma and Yankuba Minteh, the Seagulls have two of the most relentlessly fast wingers in the Premier League, and neither is afraid to use that pace.
Minteh was fourth in the Premier League last season for take-ons attempted (121) and third for take-ons completed (65), while even in an injury-disrupted campaign, Mitoma averaged 3.29 take-ons attempted and 1.46 completed.
Both wingers love to hug the touchline and draw opposition full-backs out into one-on-one duels, and they’re equally adept at racing for the byline and cutting inside. Brighton are that much more menacing out wide when their attack-minded and dynamic left-backs, Ferdi Kadioglu or Maxim De Cuyper, join in down that side — Wieffer offering balance on the opposite flank.
There is the potential for depth and impact from the bench here following the arrival of Yohanna, while Amario Cozier-Duberry could get opportunities after an impressive loan in League One with Bolton Wanderers.
However, the onus is definitely on the starting pair to make things happen and keep Brighton unpredictable in the final third. If they stay fit and firing, this could be their most potent weapon.
Three major Brighton concerns
- Integrating a new defence: The departure of Van Hecke to Spurs rips the heart out of the Brighton defence. They’ve spent big to replace the Dutchman, but Vuskovic is young and untested in English football, while Struijk needs to settle into a new system. The two need to get used to each other, as well. This upheaval at the back has the potential to cause havoc in front of Bart Verbruggen if chemistry isn’t found quickly.
- Replacing Danny Welbeck: Welbeck’s move to Chelsea has been one of the shocks of the summer so far, but it’s not without merit. The 35-year-old has scored 25 goals across the last two seasons combined, including 23 in the Premier League, breaking double figures in each league campaign having never done so previously. For context, Welbeck’s 13 Premier League goals last season left him at least eight clear of any other Brighton player. Replacing him is going to be no easy task.
- Lack of experience: As mentioned, a huge amount of experience has departed the Amex Stadium this summer, with Welbeck, Milner, March, Veltman and Webster all leaving. Hurzeler will need a quick adaptation from Struijk to anchor the defence, while the likes of Pascal Gross and Lewis Dunk are going to shoulder huge leadership burdens whenever they’re on the pitch. Some of the Seagulls’ younger talents will need to grow up quickly in the midst of juggling four different competitions.