'I got lucky' - Brighton star reveals reason behind £16m transfer amidst interest from Chelsea

In July 2023, Brighton signed the young goalkeeper for £16.3 million pounds from Anderlecht.

Since then, the 22-year-old has been a force to be reckoned with at the Albion and has made himself the number one option for current manager Fabian Hurzeler.

Since he joined the club just under two years ago, he’s made 46 appearances for the Premier League outfit, impressing with his performances and sweeper-keeper style.

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Most recently, the Dutch international got a sublime assist when Brighton were at home to Chelsea in the Premier League.

It was Valentine’s Day at the Amex when Verbruggen guided a perfect ball into the path of Karou Mitoma, who used a bit of magic to dance around the remaining defender and slot it home.

On Wednesday, March 5, Brighton and Hove Albion hosted a live event. It consisted of former Seagulls striker Glenn Murray hosting a Q&A alongside current players Joel Veltman, Ferdi Kadioglu and Bart Verbruggen.

One question asked to the panel was about whether they’d also factored in the city of Brighton, not just the football club, when deciding to make a move to Albion.

In response, Bart Verbruggen said: “To be honest, for me it was about football. I got lucky.

"Of course, when you hear about the interest, you will Google and see what's Brighton like as a city, what's the life going to be like?

"For me, it was all about the football club.

"Like I said, I just got really lucky… it’s a really good place to live as well." With stellar performances and reaching the semi-finals in Euro 2024 with the Netherlands, Verbruggen has attracted interest from other clubs.

Namely, GiveMeSport reported that Chelsea are keen to raid the Albion and take another player off their hands. Maresca is said to like his style and if this were to go ahead, sources suggest that Seagulls Chairman Tony Bloom will be looking for upwards of £50 million pounds.

So far, Robert Sanchez, Marc Cucurella and Moises Caicedo are current members of the Blues' squad to have moved from the Amex Stadium. However, Brighton also enjoyed a spell with Levi Colwill on loan in the 2022-23 season, making 17 appearances. After that, he’s remained at The Blues ever since.

Other transfer rumours suggest that German giants Bayern Munich are eyeing up a move for the young goalkeeper. Bayern are said to be in search of the next Manuel Neuer, with the goalkeeping icon being 38 years old.

Verbruggen's deal with the Seagulls runs to 2028, but with interest growing each game, it’s almost certain that another club will swoop in for the Dutchman before that period.

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