Brighton are now racing to sign a young star who has been dubbed Nicolo Barella 2.0 as they look to get a deal done before January, according to a fresh report.
Brighton keeping pace at the top
Fabian Hurzeler’s arrival at the AMEX Stadium in the wake of Roberto De Zerbi’s departure last season raised more than a few eyebrows, but the 31-year-old has made a strong start to his career in the Premier League.
Backed by heavy investment bettered only by Chelsea across the top flight over the summer, the Seagulls have lost just once so far this season and currently sit sixth in the Premier League, just two points behind fourth placed Aston Villa.
Premier League Table: Latest EPL standings for 2024/25 season
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ByStephan GeorgiouApr 22, 2025
They could have been higher if it hadn’t been for a late collapse against Wolves, which saw them throw away a 2-0 lead to draw 2-2 in stoppage time courtesy of a goal from Matheus Cunha to rescue a point for Gary O’Neil’s side.
And Hurzeler didn’t hold back after the game, accusing his side of a lack of maturity and professionalism.
“We lost two points and we failed today in our development. We were not mature enough, not professional enough to win this game. We have to learn quick from this”, he told reporters after the game.
“We were not ruthless enough in defending set pieces, we had a big chance to go for the third goal, we missed this and then get punished. We were not acting professionally and we have to learn from this. That is very important.”
However, Brighton’s recent model has always been to buy younger players and develop them into such top professionals before selling for a profit, and it is one that they are not planning to change any time soon.
Brighton in urgent race to sign Italian midfielder
Now, it has emerged that the Seagulls are in a race with several other clubs from Europe to sign Empoli’s Jacopo Fazzini this January.
The midfielder, who doesn’t turn 22 until March, has impressed in his short career to date and has drawn glowing praise. Football Analyst Ben Mattinson dubbed him a [Nico] “Barella Regen” on X, adding that “he’s a really exciting prospect who will surely develop into a top midfielder for Italy and whichever team he ends up at”.
And Brighton are trying to ensure that team is them, with reports in France [via Sport Witness] claiming that both OGC Nice and the Seagulls are hot on the tail of the midfielder, whose future, they claim, could be “decided in the coming weeks” ahead of a potential move in January.
Jacopo Fazzini vs Nicolo Barella 24/25 Serie A
Niccolo Barella
Jacopo Fazzini
Appearances
6
6
Goals and Assists
2
0
Pass Accuracy
81.8%
74.1%
Shots on target per 90
1.46
1.18
Shot creating actions per 90
2.74
2.95
Tackles and interceptions per 90
1.45
2.75
It is thought that Empoli value their gem at just £5m, which could make him a low-cost option to add to the Brighton engine room alongside the hugely impressive Carlos Baleba. Could he be the next superstar in the making to arrive on the south coast?
