Brighton make Balogun their first summer signing

Brighton & Hove Albion have announced defender Leon Balogun as their first signing of the summer transfer window.

The Nigeria international joins Brighton on a free transfer after his contract at Bundesliga side Mainz came to an end. 

Balogun, 29, has signed a two-year deal at the Amex Stadium. 

"He will add more depth to our defensive options, and I am pleased to get our first piece of business done so early in the summer," manager Chris Hughton told the club's official website.

"He is in the peak years of his career. He also has valuable experience, having played in the Bundesliga, the Europa League and at international level."

The 6ft 3in centre-back has been capped 14 times by Nigeria and is part of their preliminary 30-man squad for the FIFA World Cup in Russia. 

See: Summer 2018 transfers - All the deals