Seagull Strikers

Losing Poppy Pattinson, Maria Thorisdottir, and Guro Bergsvand in a single window marks a seismic shift for our defence. These weren’t fringe players—they were central to Brighton’s defensive identity last season. Replacing their minutes with players who are not just squad depth but ready to start is essential.It’s clear where our recruitment focus needed to be, and major work has already begun to rejuvenate the back line.

It’s worth noting that Bergsvand, Pattinson, and Thorisdottir all played a significant proportion of Brighton’s games last season. All three feature in our top 10 for either appearances or minutes played in the WSL: Bergsvand tops the list with 22 appearances; Pattinson played the third-most minutes in the squad; and Thorisdottir still makes the top 10 for minutes played despite her availability issues. These minutes must be replaced with players ready for the first team.

This also presents an opportunity to reshape our defence to better suit Dario Vidosic’s ideals. How many times did we bemoan the “playing out from the back” philosophy after conceding a cheap goal? West Ham away was particularly infuriating in this regard. Building a defence that is comfortable behind the ball is surely high on the priority list.

Our £100k signing of Moeka Minami is a case in point. She had the highest share of touches in the Roma squad last season and ranked sixth overall in the league. She plays progressive passes and looks very composed on the ball. As a Japanese international and a silverware winner with Roma, she’s a signing that should take us forward—and at 26, she also helps lower the average age of the defence.

The blueprint from the Arsenal victory (still in shock over that 4–2 win!) suggests Caitlin Hayes, who arrived in January, may play a larger role this season and absorb some of the minutes left behind by the departing trio. Hayes’ height was invaluable in defending crosses and also served as an excellent outlet from goal kicks to bypass the high press. While Vidosic may want to see improvements in her passing accuracy and discipline (three yellow cards in six games!), I suspect she’ll be a key figure in 2025–26. It’s potentially a big season for Hayes, and she has a real opportunity to become a regular starter.

Another challenge is replacing Poppy Pattinson, our energetic former left-back. I originally wrote this section yesterday, but had to revise it after Brighton announced the signing of Colombian left-back Manuela Vanegas Catano. At 24, with 30 national team appearances—including a continental final and a 97th-minute winner against Germany—this feels like a signing of real intent. I had wondered whether this would be the season for Marisa Olislagers to nail down a starting spot, but Catano’s arrival suggests Olislagers will serve as both the left-back understudy and a defensive left winger. As sad as I was to see Pattinson go (and what a great signing she is for London City Lionesses), I’m excited to see what Catano can bring to Broadfield.

To fully evolve the back line, we would benefit from signing a left-footed centre-back—as do most clubs. With both Hayes and Minami being right-footed, we risk the same imbalance that has plagued England’s back line at times. A left-footer would make us far more press-resistant and tactically flexible.

I was concerned when we released Bergsvand, Pattinson, and Thorisdottir—replacing them is no small task. But after the recent transfers, I’m feeling more confident. With one more addition, hopefully we can enter the season with a back four that better reflects Vidosic’s vision.