As Brighton look to build on last season’s record-breaking Premier League campaign, supporters will no doubt be excited to see what the future holds for the Seagulls.
And while we might not have a crystal ball at our disposal, we do have the next best thing - Football Manager 2023.
The popular video game franchise is renowned for its meticulous detail and authentic approach to the world of football management, and we thought we’d take a look five years into the future to see exactly lay ahead for Albion.
Fast forward to 2027, and it’s all change at the Amex.
Just three members of Brighton’s current team are still in the match day squad, but the big news is that Roberto De Zerbi is no longer at the club.
The Seagulls supporters have experienced a roller coaster half-decade on Football Manager, suffering relegation to the Championship in 2023-24 before immediately securing promotion back to the Premier League at the first attempt in 2024-25.
Albion were then relegated back to the Championship after one season in the Premier League. Brighton remain in the second-tier of English football as of 2027 – in no small part due to penalty shootout heartbreak in the play-offs.
Check out Albion's impressive new squad, according to Football Manager 2023, below.
1. How Brighton’s stunning future £426m squad could look - according to Football Manager 2023
Football Manager 2023 has predicted sweeping changes at Brighton & Hove Albion Photo: David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images
2. Manager: Giovanni van Bronckhorst
Brighton have been through a couple of managers since sacking Roberto De Zerbi in December 2023. Following relegation to the Championship during the 2023-24 campaign, FC Copenhagen boss Jacob Neestrup took the reigns in January 2024. The Dane secured promotion back to the top-flight at the first attempt, but was sacked in 2026 after poor results saw the Seagulls plummet towards the Premier League drop zone. Giovanni van Bronckhorst was appointed in February 2026 but couldn't save Albion from relegation to the Championship. The former Rangers and Feyenoord boss guided Brighton to the Championship play-off semi-finals in 2026-27, where they were beaten on penalties by Burnley. Photo: Ian MacNicol/Getty Images
3. GK: Caoimhin Kelleher
The former Liverpool stopper arrived at the Amex in January 2027 for £26.5m. He conceded just 11 goals in 14 games in his first full season as Albion's number one. The goalkeeper - now valued at a staggering £64m in 2027 - has also won 64 caps for the Republic of Ireland national team Photo: Michael Regan/Getty Images
4. CB: Arnau Martínez
Spanish defender Martínez was snapped up for £19.25m from Leicester City in January 2027. The Foxes paid La Liga outfit Girona £13m to secure his services two season prior. A versatile defender, Martínez started all of Albion's league game at right back during his first six months at the Amex Photo: Alex Caparros/Getty Images