Where will Brighton finish in the 2024/25 Premier League? Predictions, odds, transfers, best players and squad
Brighton have enjoyed a more comfortable 2024/25 season and will look to secure a top-half finish as we enter the final few weeks of the campaign.
Much was expected of the Seagulls last season after a shock sixth-place finish in 2022/23, sealing Europa League football in the process. And things started well for Roberto De Zerbi as Brighton won five of their opening six games. However, from there, the Italian could only pick up another seven victories from 32, with Brighton sliding all the way down to 11th after a particularly poor run of just six points from their last 10 matches.
Of course, De Zerbi has now departed, replaced by German coach Fabian Hürzeler, whose reputation is high after helping St. Pauli win the 2. Bundesliga title. But can he return Brighton to European contenders?
As things stand, a top seven or perhaps even top eight finish could secure European football for next season and given that at the time of writing Brighton sit in 10th place, but behind eighth-placed Bournemouth on goal difference alongside Fulham with all three teams on 48 points.
Read on for everything you need to know about Brighton’s 2024/25 Premier League season.
Latest Brighton odds in the 2024/25 Premier League
As we approach the final stage of the season, Brighton are hoping to finish as high as possible to secure European football at the Amex Stadium next season.
Brighton’s transfer window business
Brighton transfers in
Brighton spent big this summer, bringing Georginio Rutter, Yankuba Minteh, Mats Wieffer, Brajan Gruda, Ferdi Kadioglu, Matt O’Riley and Ibrahim Osman on board, all for fees in excess of £15m. Malick Yalcouye also signed, while Amario Cozier-Duberry joined from Arsenal on a free transfer. Centre-forward Stefanos Tzimas, midfielder Diego Gómez, and centre-back Eiran Cashin joined Brighton in January, albeit Tzimas would play out the remainder of the season at FC Nuremberg, where he’s relocating from.
Brighton transfers out
The Seagulls made sales to offset some of that spending, with Deniz Undav, Billy Gilmour and Pascal Groß among those sold. Jakub Moder left for Feyenoord in the winter. Evan Ferguson, Julio Enciso and Valentín Barco were subsequently loaned out.
Who are Brighton’s most important players?
Brighton’s top Premier League Golden Boot contender: Joao Pedro
Despite being limited to just 19 starts and 2,046 minutes through injury, Joao Pedro still managed a very respectable nine Premier League goals last season. In fact, he probably should have had more, posting just under 12 xG. Perhaps that can be put down somewhat to a lack of sharpness due to fitness disruptions.
Nevertheless, the Brazilian scored three more goals than any other Brighton player last season. If the Seagulls can keep him and Kaoru Mitoma fit for the full campaign, they’ll stand a much better chance of competing for European places.
He’s currently leading a three-way competition to be Brighton’s top scorer this season with 10 goals as Danny Welbeck sits on eight and Kaoru Mitoma on seven.
Brighton’s primary playmaker: Kaoru Mitoma
A new era awaits Brighton as Pascal Groß returns to his homeland this summer. He was in top form last term, with only Cole Palmer (11) and Ollie Watkins (13) providing more assists in the Premier League last season than him, who set up ten goals from 103 chances created. The German has long been one of Brighton’s most potent creative forces; the Seagulls must now start looking for other solutions. Kaoru Mitoma, who made only 19 league appearances due to an injury-plagued campaign, was Brighton’s second-best creator with four assists. He also created six big chances, five fewer than Groß.
Pedro is Brighton’s assist leader this season with six assists, but no one has created more chances than Mitoma, who has 32 total, including eight categorised as ‘big chances’.
Brighton’s card magnet & top tackler: Carlos Baleba
Carlos Baleba has made 65 tackles in 28 Premier League appearances this season, which is at least 14 more than any other player. He has also committed 36 fouls, just two fewer than the leader Mitoma.
Additionally, Baleba has received six yellow cards, the joint-highest with Yankuba Minteh and Bart Verbruggen.
Brighton’s rising star: Yankuba Minteh
Yankuba Minteh has enjoyed a fine season on the wing for Brighton, managing five goals and four assists from his 26 Premier League appearances – 11 of which have been from the bench.
At just 20 years old, the Gambian still has plenty of room for improvement but he’s completed 4.67 take-ons, taken 1.73 shots and created 1.6 chances per 90 minutes this season to show his considerable potential.
Brighton’s set-piece specialists:
- Penalties: Joao Pedro
- Free-kicks: Danny Welbeck
- Corners: Matt O’Riley
Brighton tactical analysis, formation & player ratings
Brighton team stats from the 2024/25 Premier League season (avg per game):
- Corners: 4.81
- Shots on target: 4.66
- Shots faced: 10.8
- Offsides: 1.12
Brighton 2024/25 player ratings*
- GK: Bart Verbruggen – 43% – No goalkeeper with more than 500 minutes played this season performed worse than Verbruggen on the Squawka Score. His save percentage of 61.43% is one of the worst in the division.
- RB: Joel Veltman – 58%. A steady if unspectacular season for Veltman so far, he’s in the top 5% for clearances completed in the Premier League.
- CB: Jan Paul van Hecke – 56% – At one point, no CB had a higher Score so far than Van Hecke, with the 24-year-old’s success being founded upon superb ball-playing skills. However, he’s struggled in the second half of the season.
- CB: Lewis Dunk – 55% – While Van Hecke has provided the craft, Dunk has been the steady defensive presence, dominating on the ground and in the air.
- LB: Pervis Estupiñán – 66% – Took some time to find his form this season, but has grown into the season, creating 1.01 open play chances per game.
- CM: Yasin Ayari – 60% – At 21 years old, Ayari is turning heads as one of the top 10 midfielders in creating big chances, although his early season form has tailed off somewhat.
- CM: Carlos Baleba – 57% – Baleba needed an adjustment period but is starting to look like a genuine force in the Premier League. Currently averaging 1.63 interceptions that retained possession per 90.
- AM: Georginio Rutter – 53% – Rutter has performed okay this season, but needs to improve in some key metrics – he averages just 2.05 penalty area entries and 0.05 open play chances created per 90 minutes.
- RW: Yankuba Minteh – 76% – Minteh possesses exceptional pace, averaging 2.37 successful take-ons per 90 minutes. He ranks in the 95th percentile among wingers for touches in the opposition box, with an average of 7.87 per game. Additionally, he wins an impressive 1.92 tackles per 90 minutes, placing him first among all wingers in this statistic.
- CF: Joao Pedro – 67% – Playing in a handful of different positions, Pedro leads the way for goals for Brighton this season with 10 and he’s won an impressive three penalties so far.
- LW: Kaoru Mitoma – 63% – He has started to rediscover his past form, with Mitoma registering seven goals and three assists through 31 appearances.
Brighton mostly fielded 4-2-3-1 and 4-3-3 formations under De Zerbi but Hürzeler has enjoyed huge success with a 3-4-3 during his short managerial career so far. Up to now, however, the German has chosen to stick with what Brighton know, with the likes of Joao Pedro and Kauro Mitoma causing havoc in attack.
Brighton’s full Premier League 2024/25 squad
| PLAYER NAME | POSITION | AGE | NATIONALITY |
| Bart Verbruggen | Goalkeeper | 22 | Netherlands |
| Jason Steele | Goalkeeper | 34 | England |
| Carl Rushworth | Goalkeeper | 23 | England |
| Tom McGill | Goalkeeper | 24 | Canada |
| Jan Paul van Hecke | Defender | 24 | Netherlands |
| Igor | Defender | 27 | Brazil |
| Adam Webster | Defender | 30 | England |
| Lewis Dunk | Defender | 33 | England |
| Eiran Cashin | Defender | 23 | Ireland |
| Ferdi Kadıoğlu | Defender | 25 | Turkey |
| Pervis Estupiñán | Defender | 27 | Ecuador |
| Tariq Lamptey | Defender | 24 | Ghana |
| Joël Veltman | Defender | 33 | Netherlands |
| Carlos Baleba | Midfielder | 21 | Cameroon |
| Mats Wieffer | Midfielder | 25 | Netherlands |
| Jack Hinshelwood | Midfielder | 19 | England |
| Matt O’Riley | Midfielder | 24 | Denmark |
| Diego Gómez | Midfielder | 21 | Paraguay |
| Yasin Ayari | Midfielder | 21 | Sweden |
| James Milner | Midfielder | 39 | England |
| Kaoru Mitoma | Forward | 27 | Japan |
| Simon Adingra | Forward | 23 | Ivory Coast |
| Yankuba Minteh | Forward | 20 | The Gambia |
| Brajan Gruda | Forward | 20 | Germany |
| Solly March | Forward | 30 | England |
| João Pedro | Forward | 23 | Brazil |
| Georginio Rutter | Forward | 22 | France |
| Danny Welbeck | Forward | 34 | England |
Brighton FAQs
Where did Brighton finish in the 2023/24 Premier League season?
Brighton finished 11th in the Premier League table in 2023/24 with 48 points.
Who is the Brighton manager?
Fabian Hürzeler is the Brighton manager, taking the job this summer following the departure of Roberto De Zerbi.
Who is the current Brighton captain?
Lewis Dunk is the Brighton captain, while Pascal Groß has often worn the armband in his absence.
Will Brighton play in Europe in 2024/25?
Brighton will not play in European competition this season, but reached the Europa League last 16 in 2023/24.
Who is Brighton’s most valuable player?
Joao Pedro is Brighton’s most valuable player, with a market value of €50m according to Transfermarkt.
How do Squawka player ratings work?*
Squawka’s new player rating system is completely stats-based. Player scores are based on the numbers they put up across a range of on-ball events, from goals scored to tackles won.
Using extensive research and our expertise, we’ve tailored each score to the player’s position. For example, forwards’ scores are based on metrics such as shots on target, touches in the opposition box and big chances created. Meanwhile, centre-backs are rewarded for winning aerial duels, making blocks, successful long-range passes and so on.
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