Brighton, July 2, 2026
Austrian central defender Michael Svoboda is moving from Italian Serie A club Venezia FC to the Premier League with Brighton & Hove Albion, where he has signed a contract through June 30, 2030.
As Brighton & Hove Albion announced on Thursday, the 27-year-old Michael Svoboda is moving from Venezia FC to the English south coast. The central defender, whose previous contract in Venice would have run until the end of 2029, agreed with the "Seagulls" on a collaboration until 2030. According to media reports, the transfer fee amounts to five million euros, which Brighton is paying to Venezia via a release clause.
Brighton manager Fabian Hürzeler expressed his delight about the new signing in a club statement. "Michael had a fantastic season at Venezia and led the team to the championship title as captain. He possesses a number of qualities that we believe will allow him to adapt well to our style of play, both in possession and out of possession. He also provides more competition in an area we want to strengthen, and given that several clubs have been courting him this summer, I am very happy that he has decided to come to Brighton."
Hürzeler praises Svoboda's leadership qualities
Svoboda had been active at Venezia FC since 2020 and made 138 competitive appearances during that time, scoring five goals. In the past season, he led the team as captain to the Serie B title and thus to promotion back to the Italian Serie A. He had only extended his contract in Venice until 2029 in February, and is now taking the next step in his career.
Svoboda made his debut for the Austrian Football Association (ÖFB) in October 2024 and has so far earned four international caps. According to available information, he is part of the Austrian squad for the upcoming World Cup. At Brighton, the ÖFB defender will not only meet German coach Fabian Hürzeler, but will also play in defense alongside Luka Vuskovic, who is 19 years old.
Career path and international appearances
The transfer is not the first million-euro deal Venezia has secured this summer. Issa Doumbia had previously left the club for an internal record sum of 20.5 million euros, while Hans Nicolussi Caviglia moved to Parma Calcio for six million euros. With the Svoboda fee, the club's post-promotion revenue rises to a provisional 31.5 million euros. This makes the defender the seventh-most expensive departure in the club's history.
Venezia collect a million-euro sum
The former HSV loanee, however, may not be the only addition. According to matching reports, Brighton are also close to signing former German international Armel Bella-Kotchap, who is 24 years old and is expected to cost around seven million euros. Should Bella-Kotchap actually arrive, competition in central defense would increase further.
Possible further defensive reinforcement
With the signing of Svoboda, Brighton are also responding to a number of changes in their own defense. In the coming weeks, it should become clear whether the club will strengthen the squad with another central defender or whether the current duo of Svoboda/Vuskovic will meet Premier League requirements.
Brighton & Hove Albion are currently preparing for the new Premier League season. According to club figures, the squad numbers 37 players, with a total market value estimated at around 90.25 million euros. Svoboda himself is currently listed in market value databases at 3.5 million euros and is one of several transfers through which Brighton are deliberately rejuvenating and strengthening the squad.