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Ahead of the 2026-27 season, Brighton have quietly been building one of the most exciting teams in the WSL. Why do so many players want to join the Seagulls?
After arguably their best-ever season in 2025-26, Brighton & Hove Albion are hungry for more.
The Seagulls have put together one of the most attractive projects in the Women’s Super League and have been able to entice new players to join while also retaining key figures.
Under manager Dario Vidošić, Brighton came so close to FA Cup glory at the end of the 2025-26 campaign. After defeating Arsenal 2-0 in the quarter-finals and Liverpool 3-2 in the semis, Brighton fell at the final hurdle, suffering a 4-0 loss against WSL champions Manchester City at Wembley Stadium.
Still, despite defeat, the run was a huge indication of the current situation at Brighton. Rome wasn’t built in a day, but their project is certainly one to be excited about.
Earlier this year, it was announced that plans had been confirmed for Brighton to become the home of Europe’s very first purpose-built women’s football stadium. With a minimum capacity of 10,000, the new ground is expected to open in time for the 2030-31 season.
Vidošić is as excited as anybody at the club about the way the future is going. Speaking to the official Brighton website on the plans, he said: “To have a stadium designed specifically for the women’s team is a significant moment for the game.
“It shows real intent and it tells players across the world that we are serious about high performance and long-term success.”
This sort of backing and funding from club owner Tony Bloom is integral not only to the women’s side as a whole, but also for their ability to attract game-changing talent – and that is exactly what Brighton have done this summer.
The Seagulls have signed seven new players ahead of the 2026-27 WSL season, adding to an already strong squad ahead of what is sure to be one of the most competitive campaigns in history.
Twenty-two-year-old goalkeeper Eleanor Heeps, who made four senior appearances in five years at Tottenham Hotspur, is now a Brighton player, and is expected to provide competitive back-up for Chiamaka Nnadozie.
Brighton’s first-choice keeper is well within the conversation when it comes to the best in the WSL. Of keepers to have played 1,000+ minutes in 2025-26, Nnadozie was top for save percentage (74.7%) and goals prevented (+5.8), a metric calculated using Opta’s expected goals on target (xGOT) model.
Not only that, but the Nigerian also completed more accurate keeper-sweepings (20) than any other keeper last season and even directly created a goalscoring chance with one of her passes downfield, something no other goalkeeper managed last term. Brighton keeping hold of such a valuable modern-day keeper is crucial to their project.
Albion’s second signing will likely have a greater impact next campaign, with winger Nadia Krezyman joining from French side Dijon. The 22-year-old managed 18 goal contributions in her two Première Ligue seasons at the club.
Krezyman was one of the most exciting attackers in France last term. Across the 2025-26 league season, no player completed more progressive carries (205), shot-ending carries (24), or take-on ending carries (57) than the Polish international.
Midfielder Emilie Joramo also moved to Brighton after a successful three-year stint in the Damallsvenskan for Hammarby, where she scored eight goals and provided a further five assists.
According to Swedish women’s football expert Liberty Simons, fans can expect a lot of technical ability from Joramo. Simons said: “When I’m talking to a WSL audience, I’ve always just described her as Kim Little-esque and people immediately know what I mean.
“She’s got a mean shot from range… she’s not someone who takes shots a lot but she can hit a good one from range when needed or in the mood.”
But Brighton didn’t stop there when it came to bolstering their midfield options. The acquisition of seasoned Swiss international Lia Wälti is perhaps one of the WSL’s smartest bits of business this summer.
The Most Exciting WSL Summer Moves:
After seven years at the heart of Arsenal’s midfield, the 33-year-old impressed in her one season at Juventus. Of midfielders to play 500+ minutes in Serie A last term, Wälti led the way for both passing accuracy (87.8%) and duel success (66.3%); she will provide Brighton with consistency, stability, and experience in the middle of the park.
Vidošić has acquired more experience for the backline too, with Gabby George joining the mix. The 29-year-old left-back has left Manchester United after a largely frustrating three years.
She will be hoping for more playing time on the south coast. Only Hannah Blundell, who joined Everton in January, played fewer minutes in defence (71) than George (395) for Man Utd last season. Before becoming a Red Devil, George had herself thrived at Everton, where she made 110 WSL appearances across nine seasons.
Two talented players from the WSL2 have also joined, with Brighton signing Sophie Peskett and Emily Murphy from Ipswich Town and Newcastle United. Peskett, a right-winger, and Murphy, a striker, both managed 10 goal contributions in the second tier last term.
These fresh faces all come together to form one of the strongest transfer windows of any team in the WSL.
It would take some doing to beat London City Lionesses in this aspect, though – not everybody can sign Alexia Putellas, Kadidiatou Diani and Mapi León all in the same month…
GO DEEPER:
Both clubs are building very exciting projects, albeit in different ways. London City are hoping for instant success, opting to sign superstars in the peak of their careers. Brighton, on the other hand, are playing a longer, potentially more sustainable game.
It’s no wonder so many players are attracted by Brighton: joining a club that invests in its women’s team is always appealing, and the Seagulls have slowly been reaping the rewards on the pitch.
In 2025-26, Brighton ended the season in seventh, just one point behind London City and three points ahead of Everton. The season prior, they came fifth in what was their highest-ever WSL finish since promotion back in 2017-18.
Vidošić and Brighton’s hierarchy have been quietly building an exciting project and, with a strong arsenal at their disposal, could be one of the teams to watch in the 2026-27 WSL season.
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