Brighton Face Tough Rebuild After Star Exits Ahead of 2025/26 | OneFootball

After failing to qualify for European competitions last season, Brighton & Hove Albion have paid a heavy price this summer.

Despite being in the top seven picture for most of the season, they finished four points adrift of Nottingham Forest.

Securing a sought-after European qualification was the club’s goal, even though the odds were against them.

They will hope to defy expectations next term, but that looks tricky after losing several first-team stars in the summer.

However, the Seagulls have been among the most unpredictable Premier League teams for years, and it’s impossible to write them off before the kick-off.

Talented manager Fabian Hurzeler fared well in his first-ever season in top-flight management, although he had a much better squad to work with.

Read on as we preview Brighton’s 2025/26 season.

Brighton Fixtures

Brighton take on Fulham (H), Everton (A) and Manchester City (H) in their opening three league matches before September’s international break.

Hurzeler’s men then travel to the Vitality Stadium to meet Bournemouth in their first game in September before facing Tottenham Hotspur (H) and Chelsea (A) to kick off a gruelling patch of fixtures.

November won’t be easy on them as they trade tackles with Wolverhampton Wanderers (A), Newcastle United (H) and Manchester United (H).

The Seagulls are set for an even more challenging December with six games scheduled, including a trip to Anfield to square off against Liverpool and an away Boxing Day clash against Arsenal.

Brighton’s year ends away to West Ham United on New Year’s Eve, while they host newly promoted Burnley at the Amex Stadium in their first match of 2026.

They entertain Man City at home for their first high-profile fixture of the new calendar year, with another brutal patch awaiting them in March.

Starting with a home clash against Arsenal, Hurzeler’s charges also play against Liverpool (H), Tottenham (A) and Chelsea (H) during a hellish six-round span.

They drop the curtain on the 2025/26 season at home against Man Utd.

Manager

Brighton’s decision to replace a proven tactician like Roberto De Zerbi with Hurzeler at the end of the 2023/24 campaign raised a few eyebrows.

It seemed more like a Hail Mary than a calculated move, especially given the club’s lofty ambitions and growing expectations after making their European debut under the ex-Sassuolo coach.

However, Hurzeler’s Premier League campaign turned out to be far more stable than expected, as he maintained the Seagulls’ competitive edge and laid promising foundations for the future.

Unfazed by the burden of expectations, the young German manager continued De Zerbi’s legacy, keeping Brighton exciting to watch and often scary for big clubs.

In doing so, Hurzeler earned praise for his tactical maturity beyond his years and proved he could be the next Graham Potter, with the Sussex team finishing eighth in the Premier League.

Whether that placement will be within their reach after a difficult summer remains uncertain.

Transfers

Despite showing plenty of promise in his first year at the Amex, Hurzeler has yet to receive adequate support from the club’s upper management.

For context, last season’s headline performer, Joao Pedro, has joined Chelsea in a £55 million deal, significantly derailing Brighton’s attacking potential.

Pedro’s exit has not been the only high-profile departure.

Highly-rated winger Simon Adingra has signed for Premier League newcomers Sunderland for a reported £20m fee.

Pervis Estupinan left England to replace Theo Hernandez at AC Milan, pouring an additional £17m into the Seagulls’ coffers.

Despite losing Pedro, Hurzeler’s men have decided to let Evan Ferguson move to Roma on a season-long loan.

If it’s any consolation, they’ve been active on the incoming front.

Charalampos Kostoulas has arrived from Olympiacos in a third-most-expensive deal in the club’s history, with Brighton splashing out £31.4m on him.

Formerly linked with several top clubs, including Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, Kostoulas should fill the gap left by Pedro’s exit.

Up-and-coming winger Tom Watson should take Adingra’s place in the squad after joining the club from Sunderland.

Maxim De Kuyper is another exciting addition, having moved in from Club Brugge in a transfer worth around £18m.

Brighton have also reinforced their backline with the signings of Olivier Boscagli and Diego Coppola.

Starting XI

Hurzeler had a clear vision for Brighton last term. Despite a major squad overhaul, he probably won’t stray away from his trademark 4-2-3-1 formation.

Bart Verbruggen has a safe place in goal after a remarkable season that saw him become the new first-choice goalkeeper for the Netherlands.

Estupinan’s departure leaves a hole at left-back, but that’s where De Kuyper should come into play, with Mats Wieffer likely to continue to operate on the right flank.

Although he joined Brighton as a midfielder last summer, Hurzeler has turned the 25-year-old Dutchman into a top-class right-back.

Captain Lewis Dunk will be 34 in November, which will probably require a more careful rotation strategy, meaning Adam Webster could get more action next to Jan Paul van Hecke at the heart of the defence.

As for the two spots in the double pivot, Yasin Ayari looks certain to be Hurzeler’s first choice alongside regular starter Carlos Baleba.

On the wings, Kaoru Mitoma and Yankuba Minteh are the most likely starters, while Jack Hinshelwood could feature behind lone striker Kostoulas.

(4-2-3-1): Verbruggen; De Kuyper, Dunk, Van Hecke, Wieffer; Baleba, Ayari; Mitoma, Hinshelwood, Minteh; Kostoulas.

Star Player

Putting too much pressure on Kostoulas could be counterproductive, especially considering he is only 18 years old.

As such, Brighton may turn to Mitoma to lead by example following another superb season.

The 28-year-old winger made 36 Premier League appearances in 2024/25, netting ten goals and providing four assists.

With Pedro out of the way, this could be a chance for Mitoma to become Brighton’s primary source of inspiration in the final third.

Prediction

Unless Hurzeler pulls off something unheard of in the Premier League, Brighton should settle for another season in mid-table.

However, a step back might be inevitable given all the new pieces in the squad, not to mention the departures of the most influential figure.

It would be unsurprising to see the Seagulls post their worst finish since 2020/21, when they ended the season in 16th place.

Predicted finish: 13th.

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Read Next: Our full Premier League 2025/26 preview (with links to all individual Premier League team previews).