Football writer Alex Keble assesses each Premier League club and their prospects for the 2024/25 season.
Brighton & Hove Albion
Brighton step into the unknown. Roberto De Zerbi left at the right time, departing this summer, but nevertheless losing the manager who led them to their highest-ever Premier League finish of sixth place in 2022/23 will have a huge impact on the club.
That’s why there is fear as well as excitement at the appointment of 31-year-old Fabian Hurzeler, who becomes the Premier League's youngest ever permanent manager. It’s a risk but, knowing Brighton and their success when recruiting both managers and players, it’s a meticulously calculated risk.
Performance last season
| Position Pos | Club | Played Pl | GD | Points Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 |
Crystal Palace
CRY
|
38 | -1 | 49 |
| 11 |
Brighton
BHA
|
38 | -7 | 48 |
| 12 |
Bournemouth
BOU
|
38 | -13 | 48 |
| 13 |
Fulham
FUL
|
38 | -6 | 47 |
| 14 |
Wolves
WOL
|
38 | -15 | 46 |
FA Cup: Fifth round
EFL Cup: Third round
UEFA Europa League: Round of 16
Last five seasons
| Season | League position |
|---|---|
| 2019/20 | 15th |
| 2020/21 | 16th |
| 2021/22 | 9th |
| 2022/23 | 6th |
| 2023/24 | 11th |
Best Premier League finish
Sixth: 2022/23
See: More about Brighton's history
Season aims
The good news for Hurzeler is an absence of pressure. Brighton might have come to expect top-10 finishes but few believe they will be able to challenge for Europe this season. The primary goal is a smooth transition tactically. Performances are more important than results – providing the unthinkable doesn’t happen. A relegation battle surely isn’t on the cards.
Key transfers
Brighton might have unearthed yet another gem in right-winger Yankuba Minteh, who contributed 15 combined goals and assists in 27 Eredivisie matches for Feyenoord last season.
Minteh's old team-mate Mats Wieffer – another key player for Arne Slot’s Feyenoord side last season – has also arrived to bolster Brighton’s midfield, with the influential Pascal Gross leaving for Borussia Dortmund.
Brighton's key transfers so far
| Player | Transfer Type | Club |
|---|---|---|
| Ibrahim Osman |  Transfer In |
FC Nordsjaelland |
| Yankuba Minteh | Transfer In |
Newcastle |
| Mats Wieffer | Transfer In |
Feyenoord |
| Pascal Gross |  Transfer Out |
Borussia Dortmund |
| Facundo Buonanotte |  Loan Out |
Leicester City |
| Brajan Gruda | Transfer In |
Mainz |
See: Clubs' summer 2024 transfers
Tactics
Hurzeler has similar press-baiting principles to De Zerbi, although his St Pauli team in Germany were more patient in possession than Brighton. There will be greater emphasis on defending and on set-pieces, although in terms of attention to detail Hurzeler is just as diligent as his predecessor.
"The training’s been really intense, really hard,” Adam Webster has said of the new regime. “The level of detail is fantastic.”
Injury report
| Player | Injury | Latest Update |
|---|---|---|
| Solly March | Knee | Details |
| Evan Ferguson | Ankle | Details |
| Pervis Estupinan | Calf | Details |
| Joao Pedro | - | - |
Pre-season results & fixtures
24 July Kashima Antlers 1-5 Brighton Report
28 July Tokyo Verdy 2-4 Brighton Report
3 Aug Queens Park Rangers 0-1 Brighton Report
10 Aug v Villarreal (H) Details
What the manager says
Fabian Hurzeler: "I think it's always important to have targets, to have a vision. I want to discuss them with my players first because in the end the players have to be convinced of that. And I want to challenge the establishment."
Best XI (4-2-3-1)
Bart Verbruggen; Joel Veltman, Jan Paul van Hecke, Lewis Dunk, Pervis Estupinan; Mats Wieffer, Carlos Baleba; Simon Adingra, Yankuba Minteh, Kaoru Mitoma; Evan Ferguson
Opening PL fixtures
Kits
See: More details at Brighton’s online store