Although Minteh stayed put, Brighton still brought in major funds from player sales, most notably Carlos Baleba’s £70m transfer to Manchester United.
With that income secured, Brighton completed a deadline-day deal for Spanish defensive midfielder Chema Andres from Stuttgart for £15.5m.
Andres made 41 appearances for Stuttgart last season after arriving from Real Madrid in 2025. A graduate of Real’s academy, he debuted in La Liga in January 2025 and, in his lone season in Germany, helped Stuttgart qualify for the Champions League.
After signing the 21-year-old, Hurzeler said he understands why Andres has been nicknamed “baby Rodri,” praising his daily drive to improve and eagerness to get on the pitch, while noting he still has a long way to go to reach that level.