Brighton & Hove Albion have rejected Espanyol’s opening offer for Igor Julio as interest continues to grow in the Brazilian defender.
Julio’s future remains uncertain, with the Spanish club expected to return after their first proposal fell short of Albion’s valuation.
Sport Witness, citing Brazilian outlet Lance!, reports that Espanyol have identified Igor as one of their priority defensive targets and have already tested Brighton with an opening bid.
Brighton rejected the approach because the proposed fee did not meet their demands. Espanyol are now expected to consider an improved offer as they attempt to reopen negotiations.
Igor Julio Brighton future attracts further interest
Albion have already taken the same position with another interested club this summer.
Cruzeiro saw their opening proposal rejected before considering an improved bid. Brighton were previously reported to value Igor at around €6million.
ReadBrighton reported last month that Igor had opened the door to leaving the Amex in search of more regular first-team football.
The 28-year-old said he wanted to have a strong season either at Brighton or elsewhere and stressed the importance of playing consistently again.
His route into Fabian Hürzeler’s team has also become more complicated.
Brighton have strengthened their defence with Luka Vušković, Pascal Struijk and Michael Svoboda, increasing competition for places after a major summer rebuild.
Igor is also entering the final year of his contract, which runs until June 2027. That leaves Brighton with an important decision before the transfer window closes.
Selling now would allow Albion to receive a fee rather than risk his value falling further.
However, Brighton have made clear through both the Cruzeiro and Espanyol approaches that they will not simply accept the first offer.
Espanyol remain interested and another bid is expected. The next proposal should indicate how serious they are about taking Igor to La Liga.
