Diego Coppola has now become a Brighton & Hove Albion player following an agreement with Serie A side Hellas Verona.
Last season, the young Italian defender played regularly for Verona, making 34 appearances in Serie A as the club ended its campaign in 14th position.
An agreement between both clubs set the transfer fee at €11 million, which equals around £9.4 million, and Coppola has signed a contract that will keep him with Brighton for the next five years.
His steady form during the season earned him a first-ever call-up to the Italian national team in May, where he played the full 90 minutes in a 3-0 match against Norway under then-coach Luciano Spalletti.
Brighton Refreshing Their Back Line with New Additions
Coach Fabian Hurzeler has brought in Coppola as part of efforts to restructure Brighton’s central defense. While speaking on the new signing, Hurzeler said, “We are happy to have Diego join us. Even though he is still quite young, he is tall, has strength and speed, and will bring a physical edge to our squad.”
He continued, “His growth in Serie A has been impressive and he earned his place in the national team. Our plan now is to support his development even further.”
Brighton’s official announcement included a celebratory message, “Diego is a Seagull!” accompanied by a post on the club’s Twitter page dated June 17, 2025.
Coppola’s Journey and Brighton’s Defensive Reshuffle
Coppola made his way into professional football through Hellas Verona’s academy system, where he built a name for himself as a dependable defender.
Brighton have been actively adjusting their defense, and they are now set to add Olivier Boscagli from PSV Eindhoven. The French defender, who has been tracked by Brighton for a while, will join the club for free on July 1 after his current deal ends.
Earlier in January, Brighton had already signed Eiran Cashin from Derby County for £9 million. The 23-year-old was brought in from the Championship to add more depth to the squad.
Lewis Dunk, Brighton’s long-serving captain, had injury troubles last season and missed 13 league matches, which is more than he missed in the two previous seasons combined. Fellow defender Adam Webster also struggled with fitness and appeared in only 22 out of 38 league games.
New Faces Keep Arriving at Brighton
Coppola marks Brighton’s second signing during this transfer window, coming just after the club confirmed the arrival of striker Charalampos Kostoulas from Olympiacos on Thursday.
In addition to that, Brighton also secured the signatures of wingers Yun Do-young and Tommy Watson. Do-young joins from Daejeon Hana Citizen while Watson makes the move from Sunderland, with both deals finalized earlier in the year.
