Albion announce £73.3m profit, Pedro linked to Liverpool & other Brighton news from the last 7 days (Brighton news roundup Feb. 23 - Mar. 1)
FA Cup weekend edition.
The Albion take on Newcastle in the FA Cup today at 1:45pm GMT (8:45pm ET), while Brighton Women play Chelsea in the WSL at 3:00pm GMT (10:00am ET). Before these big matches, let’s look at all the Brighton news from the last seven days.
Transfer News
Incoming Transfers
Sem Steijn - Albion interested in hard-to-get Twente midfielder
Dutch journalists Tijmen van Wissing and Bert van Losser (via Twente Insite) claim that FC Twente attacking midfielder Sem Steijn is on Brighton’s radar after impressing in the Eredivisie this season. However, they believe that he would prefer to join an Italian or Spanish club over an English one.
Steijn currently leads the Eredivisie in goals, with 19 scored this season. The second-highest goalscorer has netted only 12 goals. Both reporters are confident that he will leave Twente for a bigger club this summer.
Rav van den Berg - Brighton, Palace, Brentford monitoring Middlesbrough defender
TBR Football has reported that Crystal Palace are interested in signing multiple players from the Championship this summer. One of which is Middlesbrough center back Rav van den Berg. However, they are not the only club interested.
Rav van den Berg has also “attracted interest from Brighton and Brentford,” says the report. It’s not clear how seriously the Seagulls are targeting Van Den Berg, but it’s believed that the Dutchman is a very highly-rated prospect. Borussia Dortmund and Bayer Leverkusen are also reportedly keeping tabs on the 20-year-old.
Taylor Harwood-Bellis - Seagulls targeting Southampton center back
Another report from TBR Football claims that Brighton are among many clubs interested in signing Southampton center back Taylor Harwood-Bellis if/when the Saints go down this season. The report links Tottenham, Aston Villa, Newcastle, Crystal Palace, Everton, and West Ham as the clubs also interested in the 23-year-old.
Harwood-Bellis has been a mainstay for Southampton so far this season. He has played 24 PL matches for the club and made his debut for England against Ireland under interim manager Lee Carsley last November.
Clement Bischoff - Left back target talks failed move to Brighton
Brøndby IF’s Clement Bischoff has broken his silence about his failed transfer to Brighton. The left back agreed to a move just after the January window closed that would have seen him join the Albion in the summer. However, the deal fell apart once he was in Brighton to agree to final terms.
Speaking to Tipsbladet, Bischoff said: “I can't say much other than that it didn't happen and that I've moved on. But it was a tough few days and something I thought a lot about. Now I'm looking forward to playing again and moving on…
“This was a really good opportunity for me, but it is what it is…It's hard for me to say, because I can't go into the details. There's a lot in those pre-agreements, which are a bit more complicated, and the parties couldn't agree in the end. That's how it is.”
Outgoing Transfers
Julio Enciso - Player’s agent talks summer transfer options
Speaking to FALG1080am Radio in Paraguay, Julio Enciso’s agent, Pedro Aldave, revealed that not much progress has been made on negotiating a new contract with Brighton and that Enciso will have options to leave the club in the summer.
Joao Pedro - Albion No. 9 again linked to Liverpool
Following a string of inconsistent performances from Liverpool forward Darwin Núñez, Brighton’s João Pedro has again been linked to the Reds as a potential replacement for the Uruguayan.
This time it is TEAMtalk reporter Ben Jacobs, who says that Liverpool will only sell Núñez if they can bring in a replacement for the 25-year-old. Pedro is “one name on their radar” who Liverpool could look at this summer.
Bart Verbruggen - Bayern, Chelsea interested in Brighton goalkeeper
Two reports came out this week linking Bart Verbruggen away from Brighton. The first, from TBR Football, claims that Chelsea are interested in the Dutchman to upgrade from Robert Sanchez and Filip Jorgensen.
The second is a report from the Mirror, which says that Bayern are considering signing Verbruggen and that Brighton have slapped a £50m price tag on the goalkeeper. The Albion signed Verbruggen for a reported £16.5m from Anderlecht in July 2023.
Other News & Media
Albion announce £73.3m profit in annual accounts
Brighton have released the club’s annual accounts for the 2023/24 fiscal year (July 2023-June 2024). The report shows that the club made a £73.3m profit during that period. You can see the report for yourself here, a brief analysis from leading football finance journalist Kieran Maguire here, and a brief bit of analysis from myself about what this report means about Brighton’s future PSR standing here.
Diego Gómez talks about life in England
Following his full debut in Brighton’s 2-1 win over Bournemouth on Tuesday, Diego Gómez spoke to Paraguayan outlet Tigo Sports about the Albion and how he is adapting to life in the Premier League.
“The Premier League is so different, it's so much more competitive & dynamic. There are so many good players on good teams that are always competing, it doesn't matter what place they're in. It's something unique to play here, I can't describe it because it's that unique for me.
“The league here is crazy, it’s very special, wherever you go there are good pitches, good grass, people go to the stadiums regardless of their location, they really like football.”
You can read more comments from the interview translated by ESPN’s Roberto Rojas here.
Dutch report seemingly confirms Joel Veltman extension
According to Dutch outlet Soccer News, Joel Veltman will be staying at Brighton for at least another season. Reporter Hans Kraaij revealed on ESPN 's Goedemorgen Eredivisie program that Veltman told him he will not join Ajax this summer and that he is “just going to extend for another year” at Brighton.
The Terrace to open in April
Brighton are set to open the brand new The Terrace fan zone on Tuesday April 1st for the club’s Premier League match against Aston Villa. The indoor/outdoor space has space for up to 3,000 people, which makes it the largest fan zone in the Premier League.
You can find more details about The Terrace here along with some common Q&As about the new space here.
Injury News
All quotes from Fabian Hurzeler unless noted otherwise.
Lewis Dunk will miss the Newcastle match with a rib injury. This Sunday is “too early” for the skipper.
Joel Veltman is doubtful for Newcastle after having been left out of the squad against Bournemouth on Tuesday.
James Milner (hamstring), Igor Julio (hamstring), and Jason Steele (shoulder) are still out with their respective long-term injuries.