Brighton and Hove Albion Season Preview 2025-26: How high can the Seagulls fly after Joao Pedro loss?

Your Brighton and Hove Albion Season Preview is here: Can the Seagulls reach new heights in 2025-26?

FourFourTwo's Brighton and Hove Albion Season Preview

FFT's view

The Plan

Brighton secured their second-best top-flight finish last season (8th), but missing out on Europe was still a disappointment. The experience should do head coach Fabian Hurzeler, ranked at no.43 in FourFourTwo's list of the best managers in the world right now, and his youthful squad some good, though long-standing issues need attention.

The Seagulls struggle against bottom-half sides: they didn’t beat any relegated outfit at home in 2024-25. No team won more points (23) after going behind, either, and avoiding such situations in the first place would be preferable. An influx of central defenders – Olivier Boscagli and Diego Coppola from PSV and Hellas Verona respectively – could suggest a switch to the back three that Hurzeler favoured at St Pauli.

The Coach

Fabian Hurzeler, 32, showed his age (or lack of top-flight experience) a little last season, most notably in the 7-0 defeat at Nottingham Forest when his brave (or kamikaze) gameplan blew up, but – like his players – the Premier League’s youngest boss is exciting and improving.

Key Player

Jan Paul van Hecke’s 6.94 progressive passes per game is nearly double the average for a centre-back in Europe’s top five leagues. The 25-year-old has quietly developed into one of the Premier League’s best defenders – a worthy successor to creaking captain Lewis Dunk.

Lesson From Last Year

Last season was one of transition, with a fresh-faced new coach and a raft of signings, almost all of whom missed significant periods through injury. Hurzeler had to deal with more fitness-related absences than any other manager and couldn’t name an unchanged starting XI once in 45 games.

That lack of consistency – the result of a visceral press – was reflected in the top half’s leakiest defence. Yet the underlying attacking numbers were good and Brighton had more different goalscorers than any other Premier League outfit, including three who hit double figures. Better game management and turning home draws into wins could make all the difference.

The Mood

There’s frustration Albion didn’t capitalise on Manchester United and Spurs’ underperformance last term, but most level-headed fans realise there’s more competition for Europe among the Premier League’s burgeoning middle class, of which Brighton are certainly a member now. Finishing 8th still represented progress for the club.

The One To Watch

Diego Gomez, a January arrival from Inter Miami, made only fleeting appearances in the second half of 2024-25, but he well and truly announced himself with a 25-yard stoppage-time stunner at Spurs on the final day. The Paraguayan midfielder’s all-action game is well suited to English football, though he has plenty of competition for a spot.

Most Likely To...

Sell the gaffer’s electric bike to Chelsea for £100 million.

Least Likely To...

Change their ways. When Chelsea gave Brighton a big sum for Joao Pedro (standard), they’d already spent most of it on two teenage forwards: Greeks Stefanos Tzimas and Charalampos Kostoulas.

FFT Verdict

8TH Joao Pedro is replaceable, but will he be the last to leave? Europe is near, if Hurzeler learns from errors.

The Number Cruncher

The Fan View

After an encouraging, up-and-down first year under Fabian Hurzeler, we tasked Ryan Adsett with giving us the lowdown on Brighton's 2025-26

Last season was up and down. The chance to go higher was there, as Nottingham Forest proved.

The big talking point is whether Hurzeler can live up to expectations with more player turnover.

I won’t be happy unless we qualify for Europe – that’s how you attract top young players and hold on to hot talent. Crystal Palace won a trophy; they have a one-up over us.

Our key player will be Carlos Baleba, if he stays: a real superstar and very well-rounded footballer.

Look out for 18-year-old Charalampos Kostoulas. £34m-plus is huge money to splash on a teenager, especially by this club, but it’s very exciting to see top-level talents attracted to little old Brighton.

The opposition player I’d love here is Alexis Mac Allister, Moises Caicedo, Marc Cucurella, Ben White, Pascal Gross...

The pantomime villain will be our own Joel Veltman. He loves to wind up an away end. Arsenal fans still aren’t over the Declan Rice incident...

Fans think our owner is a genius. Tony Bloom just defies the odds. How much further can we go?

Fans think our gaffer is in a tough job, having to take over from a volcanic Roberto De Zerbi. But our individual quality is higher than ever and the jury is out on whether Fabian Hurzeler can truly get the best out of the players.

If he left, he should be replaced by ex-Seagull Liam Rosenior, who is doing great things at Strasbourg in Ligue 1.

We’ll finish 7th.

This preview originally appeared in FourFourTwo's Season Preview issue which went on sale in July, available here with free delivery