Brighton’s £50m Greek Duo Take Time to Settle Into Premier League
Brighton & Hove Albion have invested £50 million this year to secure young Greek forwards Stefanos Tzimas and Charalampos Kostoulas, but the club is taking a patient approach with their Premier League debuts.
Tzimas joined from Nurnberg in January for £20 million but was loaned back to the German 2.Bundesliga side for the remainder of the 2024-25 season. Kostoulas arrived from Olympiacos in July for £30 million. Neither has featured regularly in the league so far: Tzimas has made two late substitute appearances, while Kostoulas has yet to appear in a matchday squad.
Tzimas: Gradual Integration
Tzimas missed Nurnberg’s final eight games of 2024-25 due to a hamstring injury, and Brighton head coach Fabian Hurzeler has been careful with the 19-year-old during pre-season.
His first Premier League appearance came as a late substitute at Bournemouth in mid-September, during a 2-1 defeat. He followed that with another bench appearance at home to Tottenham but did not play, and only saw minutes at Stamford Bridge in Brighton’s 3-1 win over Chelsea, where he was overshadowed by other second-half substitutes.
In the Carabao Cup, Tzimas impressed more, scoring two goals as a substitute in a 6-0 win over Oxford United, earning him a start against Barnsley. However, frustration followed as he missed clear chances and was even booked during the match. With a tough fourth-round tie at Arsenal coming up, his minutes in cup competitions may be limited.
Kostoulas: Still Behind in the Queue
The 18-year-old Kostoulas has yet to feature in a league match, though he is gradually catching up in training. Hurzeler praised his work ethic after he replaced Tzimas in the Carabao Cup win over Barnsley, highlighting his defensive contribution and team play.
“If you work hard, do the basics right, the reward may not come immediately, but it helps the team and creates opportunities later,” Hurzeler said.
A Long-Term Project
Both signings reflect Brighton’s focus on long-term development. While the combined £50 million outlay has raised fans’ expectations — especially following the summer sales of Joao Pedro and Julio Enciso, and loan exits for Evan Ferguson and Facundo Buonanotte — Hurzeler is taking a measured approach.
“These players come from leagues with very different intensity levels compared to the Premier League,” he explained. “Tzimas is coming from Germany’s second division, and Babis [Kostoulas] from Greece. We need to work with them individually, build an environment where they can improve every day. It will take time, but I’m confident they will contribute in the future.”
Hurzeler added that while fans’ expectations are understandable, patience is key. “It can be unsatisfying at times, but we can’t put pressure on these young players. We need to be patient and help them develop at their own pace.”