Brighton & Hove Albion agreeing a deal to sign Costinha from Olympiacos gives Fabian Hurzeler a clearer right-back football answer before pre-season begins.
The 26-year-old Portuguese full-back will join Albion on a five-year contract until June 2031, subject to international clearance and the usual regulatory approvals.
For Brighton supporters, this feels like the first proper defensive answer of the summer.
It is no longer a scouting link, a background transfer line or a position left waiting for later in the window. Brighton have moved early for a senior specialist in an area that needed clarity.
ReadBrighton had already covered how Brighton were eyeing Costinha as part of a £10m summer squad shake-up. That link now looks even more important because the move has shifted from interest to agreement.
That matters because right-back has not felt completely settled for Albion across recent seasons.
Joel Veltman’s future has remained part of the summer picture, while the wider defensive plan still needed a firmer shape before Premier League and European demands return.
Costinha Deal Lands At The Right Time For Brighton
Costinha’s arrival is not just about adding another name to the squad. It gives Brighton a natural right-back before pre-season, which should help Hurzeler build with more certainty.
The club’s announcement described him as a regular for Olympiacos, highlighting his defensive reliability, energy down the right flank and growing influence in possession.
Those details matter for this Albion side.
Brighton need full-backs who can defend properly, support attacks and stay comfortable when asked to play through pressure. Costinha appears to have been targeted with that balance in mind.
Hurzeler said Brighton had “followed closely for some time” and added that he will “add competition at right-back”.
That second phrase is important. It suggests Brighton are not presenting Costinha as a guaranteed starter straight away, but as a serious squad-building addition.
That feels like the right framing.
The Premier League will be a new test, and it would be premature to assume he walks straight into the side. But Albion now have a proper right-back option with senior experience and room to grow.
Brighton Needed A Specialist Right-Back Answer
Right-back had become one of the more awkward areas in Brighton’s squad planning.
Veltman has been a reliable figure for Albion, but his contract situation meant supporters were still waiting for a clearer long-term answer.
ReadBrighton covered that wider uncertainty when Brighton’s departures were confirmed as Veltman talks continued. That article underlined why Albion needed more certainty in defence this summer.
Mats Wieffer and Ferdi Kadioglu have also been used in ways that show the need for proper specialist depth.
That does not mean those players cannot help in different roles. It just shows why Brighton needed a more natural option on the right side of defence.
Costinha gives Hurzeler that.
He does not solve every defensive question by himself, and Brighton still have other areas to address. But he reduces one obvious uncertainty before it has the chance to drag into pre-season.
For a club balancing domestic demands with European football, that early clarity matters.
What Brighton Are Getting From Olympiacos
Costinha, full name Joao Pedro Loureiro da Costa, developed in Portugal before establishing himself with Rio Ave and then Olympiacos.
Brighton’s official announcement says he made 74 appearances for the Greek club and represented Portugal from under-18 to under-21 level.
That gives Albion a player with enough senior experience to compete now.
He is not an 18-year-old development punt, but he still fits the wider Brighton model. There is room to improve, resale logic and a technical profile that should suit a possession-heavy side.
That recruitment logic has been clear elsewhere this summer. Brighton have also moved early for young upside, including Zadok Yohanna from AIK Stockholm.
Sports Mole has reported that the fee is believed to be around £11m, while Brighton have kept the official terms undisclosed.
That distinction is worth keeping clear. The confirmed part is the agreement, the five-year contract and the position Brighton have strengthened.
The reported fee adds context, but it remains reported rather than club-confirmed.
Costinha Fits Brighton’s Summer Priorities
The wider squad context makes the deal feel even more logical.
Sky Sports News had already identified right-back as one of Brighton’s summer priorities, alongside other areas of the squad.
That means Costinha arrives in a position of obvious need, not as a luxury signing.
Brighton still have several questions to answer. Jan Paul van Hecke interest, Veltman’s future, centre-back recruitment and midfield balance all remain part of the wider summer.
ReadBrighton has already looked at how Van Hecke’s situation has created a transfer clarity call for Brighton. The club are also being linked with defensive additions, including Charlie Cresswell from Toulouse.
But this deal gives the right side of defence a more settled shape than it had before the announcement.
That is good squad management.
Letting a problem position stay open deep into the summer can create uncertainty for the manager, the players and the supporters. Brighton have avoided that here.
Costinha Gives Albion Supporters A Clearer Picture
For supporters, the cleanest reading is that Brighton have acted early in a position where the situation could easily have dragged.
Costinha will still need time to adapt to English football, and nobody should overstate his role before he has played for Albion.
But he gives Hurzeler a proper right-back option with energy, experience and a profile that makes sense for Brighton.
That is the important part.
The question is no longer whether Brighton will add a right-back this summer. They have done that.
The better question is how quickly Costinha adapts, and whether he can turn that promised competition into a starting role.
There will still be more moving parts in Brighton’s summer. Albion have already had to make decisions around senior departures, transfer interest and squad depth, with Carl Rushworth’s rejected Coventry bid showing how active the window could become.
But on the right side of defence, Brighton supporters now have something firmer to judge.
Costinha is not just another name on the list. He is the first clear right-back answer of Albion’s summer.
