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Image Credits: Imago

As the summer transfer window approaches, Brighton & Hove Albion’s talent factory is once again attracting attention from Europe’s elite clubs.

After another solid if not slightly underwhelming Premier League campaign that saw them finish eighth, the Seagulls’ standout performers are firmly in the crosshairs of football’s heavyweights – as seems to be the case every summer.

Bayern Munich are interested in Japanese winger Kaoru Mitoma.

Meanwhile, Brazilian forward João Pedro has emerged as a prime target for several Premier League powerhouses.

Liverpool are believed to be among the clubs keen on the Brazilian.

Now his Brighton teammate Igor Julio, during an exclusive interview with Brazilian news publication Trivela, has revealed that Pedro has already made it clear he wants to leave:

“João Pedro had already told Brighton some time ago that his desire was to leave, look for new things, take the next step.

Apparently it will be difficult and complicated for him to stay here, we have to be honest, the club already knows that,” the centreback said.

Julio, who was signed from Fiorentina to Brighton in 2023 for £14.5 million, then claimed that he suggested Pedro make to the move to Liverpool – and added that he himself has always dreamed of playing for the Reds:

“I told him that he has to think about what he wants from his career.

In my opinion, if I were going to a Big Six team, I would go to a team that fights for the Premier League, competes in the Champions League and is always to win.”

“I would go to a Liverpool and I think he would fit perfectly into Liverpool?

It’s because I always had a dream of playing for Liverpool and I would go there,” Julio confessed.

However, the defender feels that his compatriot favours a move to a London club instead:

“He always told me that he really wants to live in London, so I think he will prioritize more what comes from there first,” he concluded.

The 27-year-old centre-back has endured a middling stint at Brighton since his transfer, making only 13 Premier League appearances this recent 2024/25 campaign.

However, he was out for large swathes of the season with a severe hamstring injury.

Igor’s future at Brighton appears increasingly uncertain as the club continues its defensive rebuild.

Brighton have already agreed deals for Diego Coppola from Hellas Verona (€10 million) and Olivier Boscagli from PSV Eindhoven (free transfer), adding to a central defensive roster that already includes Lewis Dunk, Jan Paul van Hecke, Adam Webster, and January signing Eiran Cashin.

And it’s clear that if the Seagulls consider the Brazilian surplus to requirements, then Liverpool will probably not make a move for him.

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