Brighton have brought in Femi Azeez from Millwall for a fee reportedly around £15m, with Ben Jacobs confirming the move on X after the Seagulls chose not to reveal the exact figures. Fabian Hurzeler’s side got the deal over the line using a deal sheet, making use of the extended 1am deadline on Wednesday morning.
The move looks like it could be about replacing Yankuba Minteh, or at least covering for him — the Gambian winger is facing around seven weeks out injured. Azeez fits the same profile as fellow new arrival Zadok Johanna: a left-footed player who operates on the right but can switch flanks too. It suggests Hurzeler now has the wide options he needs for a serious push in Europe and the Premier League this season.
Looking at Brighton’s winger options once everyone’s fit — Kaoru Mitoma and Ibrahim Osman on the left, with Johanna, Azeez and Minteh all competing on the right, plus the versatile Diego Gomez who filled in up front last season — it’s hard not to wonder whether Minteh might be the one to make way before too long.
Liverpool, meanwhile, still have their own overseas-slot headache to sort out, having yet to move on Kostas Tsimikas, Wataru Endo or Federico Chiesa. That needs resolving if the Reds want another crack at signing Minteh in January. A Tsimikas exit looks unlikely without proper cover lined up for Milos Kerkez first, and a similar case could be made for Endo, who made Andoni Iraola’s matchday squad against Nottingham Forest at the weekend.
Chiesa looks the most probable departure given he’s been left out of recent squads, though Liverpool have struggled to find a buyer for the Italian so far, and nothing suggests that will change by winter.
For now, Liverpool may simply have to hope Minteh stays patient until the summer — unless their recruitment plans shift toward a different target altogether. Otherwise, it looks like Brighton have quietly shown their hand that the Gambia international could be available.
