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'A balanced squad with not a huge amount more to be done'

'A balanced squad with not a huge amount more to be done'

BBC News19-06-2025

Brighton & Hove Albion have made a fast start to the summer transfer window but the majority of incoming business appears to be done. The capture of young Greek star Charalampos Kostoulas has certainly grabbed the headlines and the Seagulls appear to have fought off strong competition for his signature.The arrival of Diego Coppola, currently performing at the European Under-21 Championship, from Hellas Verona also indicates a remoulding of the defence with the statistics for the 21-year-old's season in Serie A presenting a strong, physical profile. Both will have to transition to a new country and a new league but Brighton has a track record of helping young potential settle into a new environment. Kostoulas will be helped by the arrival of fellow Greek forward Stefanos Tzimas who signed for the club in January but remained on loan at Nuremberg. Coppola meanwhile will be joined by free agent Olivier Boscagli who is expected to join on 1 July after his contract at PSV expires.Brighton owner and chairman Tony Bloom this week told ITV Racing he did not think there would be "a huge amount more" business done by Brighton but that the club always stays alert to any opportunities that may arise in the short-term. Now the focus will inevitably switch to departures. Joao Pedro appears to have several suitors, Kaoru Mitoma will be in demand and Carlos Baleba is bound to have his admirers but the management have always only allowed key players to move at the right price.With the arrival of two defenders there may not be room for the likes of Igor Tudor in the squad next season while extended contracts for James Milner and Tariq Lamptey provide continuity with both hoping to put their injury concerns behind them.Overall the squad looks balanced in terms of age and experience. With one Premier League season under his belt, Fabian Hurzeler should be more adept at getting the best out of his team. The 32-year-old has stressed his desire for physicality and intensity in his squad and both appear to be reflected in the deals done so far.

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