Brighton agree €10m deal for Italy debutant Diego Coppola from Hellas Verona | OneFootball

Brighton & Hove Albion have reached a full agreement to sign Hellas Verona centre-back Diego Coppola.

The Premier League club will pay a fee of around €10 million plus add-ons, with only a medical and contract signing left to complete the deal.

The 21-year-old has already given the green light to the move after being linked with Aston Villa, Brentford and Juventus.

The Italian defender made 34 appearances in Serie A last season, scoring twice as Verona avoided relegation by finishing 14th.

Coppola has established himself as one of Italy’s most promising young defenders, having come through Verona’s academy.

He earned his senior international debut in a 3-0 defeat to Norway on Friday, featuring in the heart of the Azzurri backline.

Despite the result, Coppola was one of Italy’s more composed performers, and is expected to start against Moldova this week.

His arrival is part of a wider rebuild of Brighton’s ageing defence under Fabian Hurzeler, who narrowly missed out on European qualification in his first season.

Captain Lewis Dunk, who turns 34 in November, missed over a third of the campaign due to injury.

Adam Webster also struggled with fitness, making just 22 league appearances.

Player of the season Jan Paul van Hecke was the most consistent figure at the back, while Igor Julio only returned from a long-term hamstring injury on the final day.

Brighton have already signed Eiran Cashin from Derby County in January and are set to add Olivier Boscagli on a free transfer from PSV Eindhoven next month.

The club view Coppola as a long-term investment, with his potential already attracting national attention.

Coppola has made 81 senior appearances for Verona, scoring four goals across all competitions.

He helped the club retain their top-flight status in the 40th anniversary season of their historic 1985 title win.

Brighton are now set to bring him to the Premier League as part of a fresh defensive core for next season.