Report: Brighton pushing to sign defender in £11m deal | OneFootball

Brighton Target Costinha as Right Back Search Intensifies

Brighton & Hove Albion are advancing talks to sign Olympiacos right back Costinha, with The Athletic reporting that discussions are centred on a deal worth around £11million.

Summer Priority Emerges

The move is significant because right back has become “one of the top priorities for summer strengthening”. Joel Veltman, now 34, is “out of contract at the end of the season” and “is likely to leave”, creating a clear gap in Fabian Hurzeler’s squad.

Brighton have already adapted creatively, with Mats Wieffer converted from midfield into a right back role. Yet that solution underlines the issue rather than solves it. On the left, Brighton possess real depth through Ferdi Kadioglu and Maxim De Cuyper. On the right, options are thinner.

Costinha Profile Fits Brighton Model

Costinha, 26, joined Olympiacos from Rio Ave in 2024 and has made 35 appearances this season. His Champions League experience is particularly relevant, with seven group stage outings, including games against Arsenal, Barcelona and Real Madrid.

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That exposure matters. Brighton recruit with development in mind, but they also need players ready for European football. With the club “currently seventh in the table” and still in contention for Champions League, Europa League or Conference League qualification, this is not a squad planning for stagnation.

The existing Brighton and Olympiacos relationship may also help. Brighton signed Charalampos Kostoulas from the Greek club last summer for £30million, so there is already a working line of communication between the clubs.

Smart Recruitment With European Ambition

At around £11million, Costinha looks like a Brighton type of deal, sensible fee, strong age profile, European experience and resale potential. This is not a glamour pursuit, but it could be a very practical one.

Much will depend on Sunday’s home fixture against Manchester United and results elsewhere, but Brighton’s recruitment department rarely waits for certainty. Planning early has become part of their edge.

Our View – EPL Index Analysis

From a Brighton perspective, this feels like exactly the kind of move the club should be making. Right back has been a concern, not because Veltman has let anyone down, but because time catches everyone eventually. He has been excellent for Brighton, but at 34 and likely to leave, the succession plan needs to be sharp.

Costinha is intriguing because he is not arriving as an unknown teenager who needs two years to adapt. He has played Champions League football, faced elite opposition and featured regularly for Olympiacos. That should count for plenty if Brighton are back in Europe next season.

The fee also feels smart. Around £11million in today’s market is not reckless, especially for a 26 year old with international youth pedigree and European experience. It gives Brighton room to develop him without the pressure that comes with a huge price tag.

What supporters will want to know is whether he has the pace, delivery and defensive reliability to thrive in the Premier League. Brighton’s system asks plenty from full backs, physically and technically. If the recruitment team have tracked him all season, there is reason to trust the process.