Brighton & Hove Albion have been credited with fresh interest in Marseille defender CJ Egan-Riley, adding another layer to Fabian Hurzeler’s defensive rebuild.
According to The Hard Tackle, relaying French outlet Media Foot, West Ham United are also pursuing the 23-year-old centre-back, who is increasingly likely to return to England before the 2026/27 season.
Hurzeler Faces Another Centre-Back Call
Egan-Riley is not the headline name in Brighton’s summer defensive conversation, but that is precisely why the link matters. He fits the club’s familiar recruitment zone: young, technically clean, previously developed in England, and potentially available before his value hardens again.
SportsBoom reported earlier this year that Brighton were ready to offer him a Premier League route back after a difficult first season at Marseille, where regular minutes proved hard to secure.
That profile now sits neatly alongside the wider Pascal Struijk defensive discussion. Brighton need more than one body; they need different defensive tools for a season that includes domestic football and Europe.
The West Ham competition sharpens the timing. If Brighton believe Egan-Riley can become a rotation defender with resale upside, delay only hands Marseille leverage and gives rival Premier League recruiters space to move.
For Hurzeler, this is a depth call with a clear tactical edge: secure another adaptable defender before the market starts pricing Brighton’s European workload into every negotiation.
