GOOD NEWS: Brighton to Chelsea transfer fees approach £300m
Since 2022, Brighton have become something of a feeder club to Chelsea – at least on paper.
Should Joao Pedro complete his switch to Stamford Bridge, he will become the fifth high-profile departure from Brighton, with around £280m going the other way.
Despite such an exodus, it is remarkable how Brighton have kicked on and thrived under first Roberto de Zerbi and now Fabian Hurzeler.
The transfers began with Marc Cucurella in the summer of 2022, joining Chelsea for a fee of £60 million, despite only one season in the Premier League.
Not long after, Graham Potter was plucked from Amex Stadium to replace Thomas Tuchel at Stamford Bridge, with Chelsea reportedly paying £21 million for the head coach and his entire backroom staff – a record amount for a manager. He duly lasted just seven months in west London.
Potter’s sacking did not end Chelsea’s fascination with Brighton. Goalkeeper Robert Sanchez arrived for £25 million in August 2023 before the marquee signing of Moises Caicedo a week later. The Ecuador midfielder broke the British transfer record when he arrived from £100m rising to £115m.
After a two-year break, Chelsea are back on the south coast to seal a £60 million deal for Joao Pedro, a forward whose metrics suggest he is one of the most astute attackers in the league. Yet despite this loss of talent and leadership, Brighton have not stumbled.
Under Hurzeler, the youngest manager in Premier League history, Brighton have evolved tactically while remaining fiercely competitive. His rapid, high-pressing philosophy has built on the foundation left by De Zerbi, while injecting a new energy into the squad.
Albion’s renowned recruitment model built around data, undervalued talent, and succession planning continues to pay dividends, with shrewd signings like Carlos Baleba, Bart Verbruggen, and emerging academy talents helping fill the voids left by big-money exits.
Hurzeler’s Brighton have defied the usual trajectory of clubs losing players to the ‘big six’, remaining in the hunt for European football.
It is a testament to Brighton’s structural integrity, from chairman Tony Bloom’s vision to the club’s elite recruitment and analytical departments.
