Are Brighton beginning to see returns on their £200m summer gamble? | OneFootball

Brighton’s £200m, nine-player outlay in summer 2024 was a one-off endorsed by owner-chairman Tony Bloom to deepen Fabian Hurzeler’s squad and use PSR headroom. A £54.4m loss for 2024-25 was announced on Friday, with that trading the main cause.

Signs of return came with Sunday’s 2-1 FA Cup third-round win at Old Trafford, Brighton’s first against Manchester United in seven attempts. According to NY Times, Bloom framed the spree as a one-off.

Brajan Gruda struck in the 12th minute, finishing after Georginio Rutter’s header from Danny Welbeck’s cross had been cleared off the line by Lisandro Martinez. Gruda then teed up Welbeck for the 64th-minute second. Ferdi Kadioglu, restored at left-back, was tidy and tenacious.

Gruda, a £25m signing from Mainz, is 21 and still rough around the edges. He looked at home on the right, though Yankuba Minteh has often owned that role and Hurzeler has used Gruda as a No 10.

Rutter, the £40m record buy from Leeds, operated as a No 10 behind Welbeck. His outstanding form last season ended with a March ankle injury, and his absence helped explain eighth place and no Europe, but he is rebuilding momentum.

Kadioglu, £25m from Fenerbahce, missed most of last season after toe surgery, and has now completed seven successive full matches. Four days earlier he impressed on the right in a 1-1 draw at Manchester City. Minteh’s dead leg in the 2-2 at West Ham has sidelined him early in 2026, while Kaoru Mitoma is regaining fitness.

Source: NY Times