Brighton are looking to get their first piece of summer 2026 transfer business done early with an £22 million deal to sign Portuguese right back Costinha from Greek side Olympiacos.
Right back is a position the Albion have looked short at for some time now. Going back as far as the 2022-23 season, Roberto De Zerbi was forced to play both Pascal Gross and Moises Caicedo in the role at times.
The lack of bodies was made more acute 12 months ago when Tariq Lamptey was sold to Fiorentina and no replacement brought in. That left Joel Veltman as the only specialist right back in the squad.
Mats Wieffer has since undergone a transformation from defensive midfielder to fill the role, with Ferdi Kadioglu occasionally switching from left to right when needed. Neither is a specialist right back.
Veltman is out of contract at the end of June and is clearly not a Hurzeler favourite. What else can explain The Youngest Permanent Manager in Premier League History selecting both Wieffer and Kadioglu out-of-position at right back over the suave and sophisticated Dutchman?
With no new deal yet announced, it is probably safe to assume Veltman is on his way out of Brighton after six fantastic seasons.
In which case, the Albion’s overriding priority for this summer must be to sign a proper right back. Enter the picture, Joao Pedro Loureiro da Costa. Thankfully better known as Costinha, as that full name would be a nightmare to spell after 10 pints.
