TLDR on Each of Brighton’s New Signings
A super last-minute scouting report on all the newest Seagulls.
Brighton have spent £90.1m ($122.1m) on seven new players this transfer window (so far). I had initially planned to do a profile on each of the new signings as they came, like my Yankuba Minteh profile, but life got in the way so I didn’t do any. To make up for this, I’m going to do them all at once.
Here’s what you need to know about Brighton’s new signings before the Premier League kicks off on Saturday, along with my take on each player.
Charalampos “Babis” Kostoulas
Who is he?: An 18-year-old Greek attacker, signed from Olympiacos for £29.6m (plus £1.8m in add-ons).
Why did Brighton sign him?: Kostoulas is one of the brightest young players in European football. He scored seven goals in just 1,200 minutes as a 17-year-old in his debut season for Olympiacos. For Brighton, he could compete with Danny Welbeck as a No. 9 or play deeper in a Joao Pedro-like playmaking role.
Why it will work: Kostoulas is a confident player with natural goal-scoring ability and surprisingly deft first touch. His aerial prowess, size, and pace should help him adjust to the PL.
Why it won’t: A lot of attackers show promise at a young age but fail to live up to it (see Evan Ferguson). If Kostoulas doesn’t get up to speed quickly, there’s a risk of him losing out on a year of development sitting on the bench behind Welbeck and/or Georginio Rutter.
First impressions: Kostoulas didn’t play in any of Brighton’s pre-season matches. He has been training with the first team and adjusting “step by step” to the PL’s physical demands according to Fabian Hurzeler.
Final verdict: B. It’s hard for me to feel good about signing an unproven 18-year-old for £30m, but Kostoulas’s potential is sky-high. I hope he lives up to it.
Stefanos Tzimas
Who is he?: A 19-year-old Greek striker, signed from 1.FC Nuremberg for £20m.
Why did Brighton sign him?: Like Kostoulas, Tzimas is another wonderkid with good physical characteristics and a natural talent for scoring goals. He was a regular for PAOK and became their youngest ever goalscorer at just 17 years old. After moving to Nuremberg, he scored 10 goals in 17 matches to start the season before injuries slowed him down in 2025.
Why it will work: While Kostoulas is the more versatile player, Tzimas knows his role and is very good at it. He makes great runs and converts a high percentage of his chances. He also has a phenomenal work rate. Tzimas ranks in the 70th percentile or higher among forwards for duels won (71.4%), ball recoveries (81.4%), and possession won in the final third (85.7%).
Why it won’t: Tzimas has never really been a player who gets involved in the build-up. It could take him a while to adjust if he’s asked to play a Welbeck-like striker role who occasionally drops deep to link with other players.
First impressions: Tzimas made a short appearance off the bench in the training ground friendly against Wolfsburg, but Hurzeler says he still needs time to get up to speed.
Final verdict: B. I’m probably in the minority, but I rate Tzimas higher than Kostoulas. My only reservation is about how he’ll fit in Hurzeler’s system right away, so I’ll give them the same grade.
Maxim De Cuyper
Who is he?: A 24-year-old Belgian left-back, signed from Club Brugge for £17.3m.
Why did Brighton sign him?: Brighton sold Pervis Estupiñán and needed to replace him with another attack-minded left-back. De Cuyper was the best attacking left-back outside of the Big 5 leagues.
Why it will work: De Cuyper’s skill set aligns perfectly with the qualities Estupiñán brought to the side. Per FBref, the Belgian is in the 99th percentile of full-backs for progressive passes, shot-creating actions, passes attempted, and expected assisted goals. He is also a great set-piece taker and crosser. De Cuyper was Brugge’s corner taker and was third in the Belgian Pro League for crosses into the penalty area.
Why it won’t: Besides the normal caveats about defenders adjusting to the PL, there's also the issue of how Hurzeler wants to use De Cuyper in a more conservative role as the left center-back in possession. At Brugge, he was practically a winger when they had the ball. I’ll be watching to see how he handles this new role, especially in transition moments.
First impressions: De Cuyper was immediately slotted into the first team for Brighton’s pre-season friendlies. He has looked very impressive so far and seems comfortable playing in Hurzeler’s system. De Cuyper should start on Saturday against Fulham.
Final verdict: A. I was high on De Cuyper when he signed, but he’s bedded in way faster than I expected. I don’t know if he’ll reach the heights Estupiñán did, but I can see him being our starting left back for the next two or three seasons at least.
Tom Watson
Who is he?: A 19-year-old English left winger, signed from Sunderland for £10m.
Why did Brighton sign him?: Watson was one of the best young English talents in the Championship and was available for a very reasonable price. With Simon Adingra on his way out, there was also a hole at back-up left winger that needed to be filled.
Why it will work: Watson is a direct player with a good sense of when to attack open space. He’s also very technical and a confident player. It isn’t hard to imagine him developing into yet another dangerous Brighton winger.
Why it won’t: Watson is very raw. He played less than 1,000 league minutes last season and has only played 24 senior matches in his entire career. His work rate and dribbling ability stand out now, but there are a lot of other elements of his game that really need to be developed.
First impressions: He didn’t feature at all in the pre-season. As with the young Greek players, Hurzeler is giving Watson time to adapt.
Final verdict: B+. I feel the same about Watson as I do about Tzimas and Kostoulas. He has a lot of potential I hope Hurzeler can unlock. However, Watson was cheaper and fills a bigger need for Brighton, so I’ll bump his grade up to a B+.
Diego Coppola
Who is he?: A 21-year-old Italian center-back, signed from Hellas Verona for £9.4m.
Why did Brighton sign him?: Hurzeler said Brighton needed to bring in more physicality this transfer window. Coppola fills this need. He is a 6’4”, no-nonsense center-back and full Italian international.
Why it will work: Coppola has a lot of potential and is already better in the air than anyone in Brighton’s current squad. FBref ranks him in the 98th percentile for Aerials Won. He won more aerial duels than any other U-23 player in Europe’s Big Five leagues last season.
Why it won’t: Coppola has played at the center of a back three for almost his entire career, so there are some questions about how he’ll adapt to playing in a four. His passing and possession numbers are really poor. This is largely due to Verona’s tactics, but it’s still an area he needs to improve on.
First impressions: Coppola scored a strong, headed goal just four minutes into his friendly debut against Stoke City in Marbella.
Final verdict: B+. Coppola fills an obvious need in the side and appears to be a bargain at just £9.4m. Oh, and he’s only 21. It’s really hard not to like this signing.
Yoon Do-young
Who is he?: An 18-year-old South Korean right winger, signed from Daejeon Hana Citizen for £2m.
Why did Brighton sign him?: Do-young is one of South Korea’s top young talents, and, per The Athletic, Brighton are optimistic about finding value in the Asian market after the success of hitting on Kaoru Mitoma.
Why it will work: Do-young is a super-skillful right winger who’s direct and unafraid to take on defenders. With his work rate, if he reaches his potential, he could be a bit like a left-footed Mitoma.
Why it won’t: One of the reasons Do-young might not become the next Mitoma is his defensive ability. He’s currently not strong or fast enough for the PL. His decision-making on both sides of the ball leaves a lot to be desired. Hopefully these things all improve as he ages and develops.
First impressions: Do-young has been loaned out to Eredivisie side Excelsior. He made his first appearance off the bench last weekend against NEC. He was unable to make much of an impact, as his side was already down 4-0.
Final verdict: B. Do-young is an exciting prospect, but it’s really too early to say whether he will ever be a quality player for Brighton. At just £2m, though, I can’t give this signing a bad grade.
Olivier Boscagli
Who is he?: A 27-year-old French center-back, signed from PSV Eindhoven on a free transfer.
Why did Brighton sign him?: Boscagli was arguably the best center-back in the Eredivisie, known for his long-range passing and technical ability. Brighton attempted to sign him last season but had multiple bids rejected.
Why it will work: Boscagli’s passing skills set him up to be an ideal replacement for Lewis Dunk, especially since he is left-footed, which will be useful playing alongside Jan Paul van Hecke or as the left center-back in a back-three formation (should Hurzeler use one).
Why it won’t: At just 5’11” tall, Boscagli might struggle to handle the physicality of the PL. FBref puts him in just the 7th percentile for Aerials Won and Clearances among center-backs. Also, adjusting to the pace of play is always an issue with players coming from the Eredivisie.
First impressions: Boscagli has been recovering from injury, so he has only featured in two closed-door, pre-season friendlies—including a 2-0 win over Wolfsburg last weekend.
Final verdict: A. Brighton badly needed center-back depth. To get a quality, experienced player like Olivier Boscagli on a free is a slam dunk signing.
Closing Thoughts
It felt a bit ridiculous giving so many players A and B grades, but honestly, it’s been a great transfer window for Brighton. The club has signed a Champions League-quality center-back and six young players with a lot of potential. It’s hard to ask for more than that from Tony Bloom and Paul Barber.
Now, we just have to see how the new signings look on the pitch. Hopefully, they can get Brighton over the line and into Europe next season.
Brilliant roundup thanks for putting it together!