Rushworth Seals Permanent Coventry Move as Brighton Wish Keeper Well

Carl Rushworth has completed a permanent move to Coventry City, with Brighton confirming the goalkeeper’s exit on Tuesday. The Seagulls say they respect the 25-year-old’s desire for regular Premier League football, with Frank Lampard’s newly promoted Sky Blues moving to make his loan spell permanent.

Rushworth’s Coventry move: the details

The deal is understood to be worth an initial £22.5 million, potentially rising to £30 million should the former England Under-21 international hit certain targets. Brighton have also secured a sizeable sell-on clause and an option to buy Rushworth back should they see fit. He starred in Coventry’s Championship title-winning campaign on loan last season and has climbed the leagues through a string of successful loans since joining the Albion from Halifax Town in 2019.

Carl had an excellent 2025-26 season and both he and Coventry were keen to make the move permanent. While we would have liked to keep Carl with the club for longer, we respect his decision to secure regular first-team football in the Premier League with Coventry. We are extremely proud of the development and progress Carl has made during his time at the club.

Those were the words of Albion sporting director Mike Cave, who wished the keeper the best for the future.

What it means for Brighton

With Bart Verbruggen firmly established as Brighton’s No.1, Rushworth’s departure had been long signposted, the keeper set for a Coventry return earlier in the window. The buy-back clause leaves the door open should the Seagulls ever wish to bring him back to the south coast.