Brighton & Hove Albion capped off a very successful transfer window, making ten first team signings at a total cost of around £65m.
How the window unfolded?
Brighton’s first signing came early in the window when they signed Leon Balogun from FSV Mainz on a free transfer. The 30-year-old centre-half is vastly experienced at both club level and international level. He was also a crucial part of Nigeria’s World Cup squad, having played in every group game for the Super Eagles. Balogun came up against some of the best players in the World including Lionel Messi and more than held his own.
A few days later, the Seagulls secured their second signing in Florin Andone from Deportivo La Coruna for a fee of £5.25m. The 25-year-old striker has been a long-term target with Brighton making a bid of £17.8m for his services last summer.
Andone was then followed through the door by a new full-back in Brazilian defender Bernardo from Red Bull Leipzig for a fee of £9m. The 23-year-old has a wealth of experience playing in the Bundesliga, Champions League and Europa League last season.
Albion’s next two signings were both goalkeepers, after the loss of both backup keepers, Tim Krul and Nikki Maenpaa to Norwich and Bristol City. Brighton brought in Jason Steele on a free from Sunderland and David Button from Fulham for a fee believed to be in the £4m region.
The Seagulls’ next signing was a player who shone last season in South Africa. This was the signing of Percy Tau from Mamelodi Sundowns for a fee of £2.8m. The 24-year-old was Sundowns’ top scorer last season, finishing with 12 goals and 16 assists. Tau is set to go out on loan in Europe to gain more experience of European football.
Brighton continued to add to their midfield with their 7th signing, Yves Bissouma from Lille for a fee which could ultimately rise to £17m. The 21- year-old Malian midfielder impressed for Lille last season scoring three goals in 28 games. In the pre-season for Albion, he has shown glimpses of what he can do. Especially memorable was the freekick he scored against Birmingham City and a great piece of control and skill against FC Nantes.
Albion then shattered their transfer record to bring in their eighth signing. This was the signing of Iranian winger Alireza Jahanbakhsh from AZ Alkmaar for a fee of around £17m. He scored 22 goals in 39 games last season and was the top scorer in the Eredivisie. The transfer also made Jahanbakhsh the most expensive Iranian footballer in history.
Then deadline day saw Brighton make another two signings. The first of these saw Brighton land 6’7” centre-half, Dan Burn from Wigan Athletic for £4m. Burn will be loaned back to Wigan till January to get more game time before linking up with his new teammates.
The final signing of the window went past the deadline, and Albion had to submit a form for an extension. Dead on 7 pm on deadline day, it was announced that Martin Montoya had signed from Valencia on a four-year deal for around £6m. The 27-year-old full-back has won several domestic and European honours in Spain mainly with Barcelona. He has also played for Inter Milan so he has experience at top European clubs, which would serve him well for Brighton.
The window a success for Brighton
The summer window has been hugely successful for Brighton, they have added depth and quality to their squad and this makes for an exciting season for Albion, who would be looking to improve on their 15th place finish in the Premier League last season.
While yesterday’s result against Watford has been disappointing, the fundamentals of this Brighton side is strong. Having made the additions they did, I am confident that, contrary to popular opinion, the Seagulls would easily survive the drop.
