2024/25 Premier League Preview - Brighton

Brighton will yet again be going into a new Premier League season missing a key piece. This time it will be their manager Roberto De Zerbi who has left the club and joined Marseille. The new man in charge for the Seagulls will be 31 year old Fabian Hürzeler, making him the Premier League’s youngest ever permanent manager. 

Hürzeler’s age and experience has raised many eyebrows when it comes to his qualities as a manger but his achievements and style of play with German side St Pauli in the Bundesliga 2 show precisely why Tony Bloom has made the move to bring him to the Premier League. Hürzeler took over a relegation threatened St Pauli in December of 2022. By the time April of 2023 had come around, they were riding a 10 game win streak and ended the season pushing for a promotion place. This was then followed up by St Pauli being crowned Bundesliga 2 champions last season, securing a place in the Bundesliga for the first time in over 10 years.

Hürzeler’s team setup and style of play screams intensity. Operating in a 3-4-3 formation he demands a high work rate from every position on the field and looks to command possession at all times, creating chances quickly and getting shots on goal as much as possible. This way of playing would suit Brighton down to the ground after their struggles last season which saw them finish in the bottom half for the first time since the 2020/21 season.

Their optimism in appointing such a manager has also been reflected in the club’s transfer business. The south coast outfit have already shelled out over £75 million on new players. The main bulk of this being spent on Feyenoord teammates Yankuba Minteh (who was on loan from Newcastle) and midfielder Mats Wieffer. Minteh is a very unique winger at 6ft 2in and has fantastic pace and power for a player only 20 years old. He enjoyed a successful campaign for the eventual Dutch champions with 16 goals and assists in 27 games. Wieffer appears to be a real player of quality as well, drawing comparisons to Arsenal and England midfielder Declan Rice for his ability to win duels in the middle of the pitch and swifty begin his team’s offensive motions.

These signings have definitely addressed some of Brighton’s areas of need and definitely suit the playstyle of their new manager, but their lack of top level experience may not see them grow into the league until much later on in the season. Unfortunately for Brighton, they will be losing a big part of their existing experience in Pascal Groß. The 33 year old is 6th on the list for all-time appearances for Brighton but will now be back home in Germany after signing for Borussia Dortmund for a fee close to £6m. 

Brighton’s season definitely wasn’t helped by injuries, with some players still suffering at present. Last season they lost a combined 1,727 days through injuries to various first team regulars, most notably Karou Mitoma. The Japanese winger could only manage 19 games last season and has just returned after a back injury suffered in February ended his season early. The return of Mitoma as well as Solly March, Evan Ferguson and Pervis Estupiñán will feel like new signings in themselves once they all come back in.

The upcoming season will pose some very unique challenges to Fabian Hürzeler and his squad. The assignment of being able to have new and existing players adapt to a new manager’s tactics and setup is one thing, getting instant success is another. There is no doubt that Tony Bloom has made a move for the future here with who he has brought in although this project may require a lot of patience which is why a mid table finish seems a right fit at this stage. This could have a completely different outlook by the time Christmas comes around, both positively or negatively. There is so much room for this team to succeed and fail right now that it makes giving a prediction any higher or lower impossible.

League prediction: 10th

Squad grade: B-

Manager grade: B-