Soccer
Brighton have confirmed the signing of defender Diego Coppola from Hellas Verona, the Seagulls’ second addition in the summer transfer window.
Coppola, who is currently representing Italy at the Under-21 European Championships in Slovakia, has penned a five-year deal with Fabian Hurzeler’s side.
The 21-year-old has made 81 appearances in Serie A since his debut in January 2022, making his senior debut for the Italian national team against Norway earlier this month.
Coppola made 34 appearances in the Italian top-flight last season, scoring two goals as Hellas Verona ended the campaign 14th, six points above the relegation zone.
And Brighton head coach Hurzeler is looking forward to working with Coppola, and believes he can improve further during his time with the Seagulls.
“Diego is an exciting addition for the club,” Hurzeler told Brighton’s official website.
“Although he is still young, he is tall, strong and mobile and he will give us a real physical presence.
“He has made impressive progress in Serie A and deserved his call-up to the Italian national team. We look forward to helping him develop even more.”
The defender follows teenage forward Charalampos Kostoulas through the doors at the Amex after he completed a reported £29.8m move from Olympiakos last week.
A message from our newest recruit! pic.twitter.com/8zwWMOUjsZ
— Brighton & Hove Albion (@OfficialBHAFC) June 17, 2025
When comparing Coppola’s 2024-25 league campaign to Brighton’s Lewis Dunk and Jan Paul van Hecke, it is clear he will offer different strengths for Hurzeler in defence.
Coppola had a tackle success rate of 54.5% in Serie A, almost 10% lower than that of Van Hecke (64.4%) but only slightly lower than Dunk’s overall total of 58.8%.
The duel success rates of the three centre-backs are very similar, with just 1.5% separating the defenders.
However, the major difference is in the interception category. Coppola intercepted possession 72 times last campaign, far more than Van Hecke (24) and Dunk (13).
Indeed, Coppola had more interceptions last year than any other player in Europe’s top five leagues.
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