Brighton have initiated discussions for a £20million transfer to bring 1. FC Nürnberg’s young striker Stefanos Tzimas to the club, according to Football Insider sources.
The 19-year-old has made a significant impact while on loan from PAOK in Greece, playing in the 2.Bundesliga.
Despite interest from various European clubs, Brighton are now actively negotiating to secure Tzimas’s signature.
This season, Tzimas has scored nine goals and provided two assists in 16 matches across all competitions. He has been a regular starter, featuring in 12 of those games for Nurnberg, who are positioned in the middle of the 2.Bundesliga standings.
The Greek striker, who began the 2024-25 season off the bench, has since started the last 11 league games. His progress is being guided by former German football icon Miroslav Klose, who currently manages Nurnberg.
Nurnberg has the opportunity to buy Tzimas permanently from PAOK for a predetermined amount.
Last season, Tzimas helped PAOK win the Greek Super League and holds the record as the club’s youngest goalscorer, having scored in a victory against Ionikos shortly after his 17th birthday.
Brighton’s forward options include Danny Welbeck, Evan Ferguson, Joao Pedro, and Georginio Rutter.
Following a 3-1 victory against Manchester United on January 19th, Brighton are placed ninth in the Premier League under manager Fabian Hurzeler.
Fabian Hurzeler makes Mats Wieffer fitness admission with ‘pressure on medical department’
Brighton’s midfielder Mats Wieffer is among eight players expected to be absent for the upcoming Premier League match against Everton at the Amex Stadium this Saturday.
Wieffer, who transferred from Feyenoord to Brighton for £25 million last summer, is currently sidelined with a thigh injury he picked up in the 1-1 draw against West Ham on December 21.
The Dutch international has not played in the last five games, having missed a total of eight matches this season, and has only started in four Premier League games to date.
Although Wieffer was a starter in Brighton’s 3-0 victory over Everton on the first matchday, manager Fabian Hurzeler has indicated that the midfielder will not recover in time for the rematch this weekend.
“Quite well,” said the German head coach to Sussex World, when asked how his midfielder was progressing. “So hopefully he will be back in one to two weeks, without making too much pressure on my medical department.”
The absence of Mats Wieffer is a significant setback for Fabian Hurzeler as the versatile 24-year-old can also fill in at centre back, a position where Brighton are currently struggling due to injuries to Lewis Dunk (muscular) and Igor Julio (hamstring).
With limited options, Adam Webster, who has been plagued by injuries over the last two seasons, and Jan Paul van Hecke are the only senior centre backs available for the Everton match.
Brighton have been rumored to be in talks for a £12 million transfer of Derby County’s Eiran Cashin, and they also missed out on Brazilian defender Vitor Reis, who signed with Manchester City from Palmeiras for £30 million earlier this week.
“There are no priorities for me,” Hurzeler told Sussex World when asked if they are actively seeking to sign a defender in the remaining days of the transfer window.
“For me, the most important thing is that the work I can influence, and the work I can influence the players I have available, and try to improve them the best way we can.
“Try to prepare them for the following match, that’s my job. That’s my priority, and the other things we are discussing internally, we always try and that’s the most important thing to do the best thing. “What helps the club to be more successful and if it’s more successful to bring a new player in then we might do it.
“If not then we don’t do it, but I’m a coach and honestly I really can only influence the things on the pitch and beside the pitch, with the players who are there, and that’s my job where I try to focus on.”
