'I'm not averse to it' – Brighton's 15-goal ace drops major exit hint as summer transfer now looks likely

Brighton striker Deniz Undav insists he is happy at his loan club VfB Stuttgart and that he’s open to a move this summer.

Undav, 27, joined the Budesliga club on loan at the start of the season and his 15 goals and five assists from 24 games has helped Stuttgart to third in table, just four points behind second placed Bayern Munich.

The German striker is contracted with Brighton until June 2026 but Stuttgart reportedly of an option to buy clause on their loan agreement. Undav joined Brighton for around £7m in 2022 after a prolific spell in Belgium with Union SG, his recent form has however seen his value increase and the Seagulls would hope to achieve more than £15m if he exits this summer.

“I have a contract with Brighton,” said Undav to Sky Deutschland. “As things stand, I’ll be back at Brighton in the summer. But the season is still long. The focus is on VfB.

"I want to be as successful as possible. VfB are a great club. I’m happy to be here. The fans are great. I’ve integrated well, the team has welcomed me well. I’m not averse to it, in any case,” he said.

His fine recent form also saw him called-up to the German national team by boss Julian Nagelsmann last week, alongside his Brighton colleague Pascal Gross.

“How does that happen?” Undav said with a smile. “Nobody believed in me. I didn’t believe in myself.

“I only played football for fun. And when you’re at home, talking to your wife and family and say: ‘I made it after all’. It’s amazing to have that feeling that I’ve proved it to people who never believed in me.

"It took longer than I thought, it was a different career path.”

Undav made 30 appearances for Brighton in the 2022/23 season and scored eight goals with one assist – he netted five goals from his last eight Premier League outings for the Seagulls.