BBC Radio Sussex have discussed what Brighton need to do with their defence this summer transfer window.
With Jan Paul van Hecke agreeing a move to Tottenham, former Albion striker Warren Aspinall believes the club should also look to sell Diego Coppola and bring in new reinforcements.
Click play above to hear the full chat with host Johnny Cantor.
You can also listen to the full podcast on BBC Sounds here
Image source, Getty ImagesWe asked for your views on Jan Paul van Hecke's move to Tottenham after Brighton agreed a £52m deal with the club.
Here are some of your comments:
David: Very sad news. He should have been offered a new contract and captainship two years ago and then maybe he would have stayed. He obviously does not relish playing in Europe next season.
Darnton: He has been great for the Albion and deserves the chance to play at the highest level. But he is going to Spurs... which doesn't quite fit that criteria!
Richard: He must be mad! To go from a club in Europe to another that struggles is bizarre to say the least! Maybe the wages are a lot more...
David: Clearly we are not aiming to impress via success in Europe. I understand why he wishes to go but I am sad and shocked at the short-sightedness of the board. We do not deserve to be considered as challenging the top six.
Rono: A great time with us but final memory for me will be that needless 96th-minute Leeds back pass that dropped the point that would have had us in the Europa League next season.
Raymond: Another good player that has outlived the team. Like any other job, if he doesn't want to play for us, jog on. Wish him well.
Image source, Getty ImagesBrighton's latest signing Costinha will bring energy and experience to the right-back position, believes former Albion striker Warren Aspinall.
BBC Radio Sussex's Johnny Cantor discussed the signing with Aspinall as the pair highlighted what it could mean for versatile defender Mats Wieffer.
"Costinha brings energy down that right-hand side and he's experienced in Europe as well," Aspinall said on the Albion Unlimited podcast. "I think he's made 65 appearances since his signing in 2024 for Olympiacos and he's 26-years-old.
"And it's one of those situations where we could get Wieffer into midfield."
Cantor added: "Yeah, I'm desperate to see what Wieffer could achieve. It may be difficult for him to flip-flop, but if Costinha can play regularly at right-back, there's absolutely no reason why Wieffer doesn't become another option in midfield.
"Plus, Costinha's European experience playing in the Champions League, and with Albion going into the Conference League for a second season [after playing in the Europa League in 2023-24], obviously helps.
"We don't know about any player coming into the Premier League because it's so different and if you can deal with it, but I would say that experience is something they've gone for."
Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds here
Tottenham Hotspur have agreed a £52m deal with Brighton for Dutch defender Jan Paul van Hecke.
Van Hecke has a year left on his current Brighton contract and showed no inclination to extend the deal.
The deal also includes a significant sell-on clause with Brighton profiting further should Spurs sell the player.
Simon Stone
Chief football news reporter
Image source, Getty ImagesCroatia defender Luka Vuskovic in training ahead of the World Cup opener against England
Brighton have no immediate plans to make a fresh offer for Tottenham defender Luka Vuskovic.
The revelation Brighton have agreed a £52m deal with Tottenham for Jan Paul van Hecke to move to north London sparked suggestions of a renewed attempt to sign Vuskovic, the 19-year-old who will be part of Croatia's squad to face England on Wednesday.
Vuskovic is viewed as one of the most highly rated young players in Europe and Brighton have already had a £30m offer rejected for him.
After spending last season on loan in Germany with Hamburg, Vuskovic will face more competition for the central defensive positions with the arrival of Van Hecke, although there has been speculation over the future of skipper Cristian Romero.
Brighton are keeping across the situation but they will not be making another bid at the moment.
Evidently, they do need a replacement for Van Hecke, who started 36 out of their 38 Premier League games last season.
However, they do have time.
With a year left on his contract, Brighton feel they have negotiated an excellent deal around Van Hecke, particularly as his move to Tottenham includes what is regarded as a significant sell-on clause, should the 26-year-old Netherlands World Cup star leave the club at some point.
Brighton are not willing to pay Tottenham's £60m asking price for 19-year-old Croatia centre-back Luka Vuskovic, who spent last season on loan at Hamburg. (Football Insider), external
Want more transfer stories? Read Wednesday's full gossip column
Nizaar Kinsella
Football reporter
Image source, Getty ImagesCostinha, full name Joao Pedro Loureiro da Costa, joins Brighton as a result of extensive data analysis and scouting from the club's impressive recruitment model.
Having been targeted since January, the 26-year-old is likely to start the season as back-up to Joel Veltman at right-back. Veltman is in talks to extend a contract that expires at the end of this month.
Adding depth is particularly important in a year when Brighton have qualified for the Conference League. The defender, who is said to speak English, also knows 19-year-old striker Charalampos Kostoulas from their time together at Olympiacos.
It was at the Greek club that Costinha reinvented himself, converting from a winger into a physically powerful right-back - a move that helped him flourish.
Olympiacos gave Costinha experience of playing in the Champions League and chances to win multiple titles in Greece.
However, he was a late bloomer and moved between several academies - Cavaloes, Aveleda, Porto and Braga, as well as a loan spell at Palmeiras - before joining Rio Ave, where he made his breakthrough aged 20 in the Portuguese top flight.
The cousin of former Watford defender Joao Ferreira, Costinha is from Povoa de Varzim, a fishing and resort town just north of Porto, and is the first permanent Portuguese signing in Brighton's history.
A new episode of BBC Radio Sussex's Albion Unlimited podcast is now available on BBC Sounds.
Johnny Cantor and former Seagulls player Warren Aspinall assess the signing of Costinha, analyse Albion's representatives at the World Cup and play a game of 'keep, loan, sell' - plus Brighton Shakespeare Company artistic director Mark Brailsford discusses his new play to celebrate the club's 125th anniversary.
Listen below or on BBC Sounds here - and don't forget to subscribe to get each episode into your My Sounds feed.
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