Danny Welbeck sends farewell message as Brighton exit confirmed
Brighton & Hove Albion veteran Danny Welbeck has bid farewell after the Seagulls confirmed an exit ahead of the new Premier League season.
Brighton enjoyed a great season under young head-coach Fabian Hurzeler last term, and Welbeck was a key performer as they finished eighth in the Premier League.
The veteran striker has represented the likes of Man United and Arsenal so far throughout his time in football, while also winning 42 caps for England, but last term represented the best league campaign of his career as he netted 10 goals in 30 appearances.
He only joined the Seagulls on a one-year contract back in 2020 after a short spell at Watford, but has managed to reinvent himself on the south-coast, and he became Brighton’s top all-time Premier League scorer in April with his 31st top-flight strike for the club.
Head-coach Hurzeler has moved to bolster his forward line this summer, however, with Charalampos Kostoulas signed for £31.4million from Olympiacos to add to the likes of Georginio Rutter and winter signing Stefanos Tzimas up-front.
They certainly have a wealth of options that could push Welbeck down the pecking order, and he has now sent a new message after the Seagulls confirmed an exit ahead of the new campaign.
Evan Ferguson joins Roma on loan
Welbeck is unlikely to leave this summer, considering his age and the fact he played so well last season, but the same could not be said for out-of-form Brighton striker Ferguson, who struggled on loan at West Ham in 2024/25.
Football Insider revealed on 15 July that Ferguson was set to leave Brighton on loan this summer amid interest from Roma, and the Seagulls confirmed his exit to the Italian giants on Instagram on Wednesday (23 July), stating: “Good luck to Evan Ferguson who has joined Serie A side Roma on a season-long loan.”
The Republic of Ireland international forward soon moved to send his own message on the site after his move was confirmed, saying: “Excited to join (Roma) on loan for the season. Grateful for the warm welcome from the fans over the past few days. Can’t wait to get started at a club with such a rich history. Forza Roma!
His Brighton teammate Welbeck replied with a heartfelt message, commenting: “Good luck r kid,” while Jack Hinshelwood said: “Let’s go Ev” and former Seagulls man Joao Pedro added: “good luck bro.”
Ferguson had to leave Brighton this summer
Football Insider verdict
Ferguson’s career has taken a surprising down-turn over the last few years, with him deemed surplus to requirements by Brighton for now, despite once being one of the most highly-rated young strikers in the Premier League and across Europe.
He burst onto the scene with the Seagulls in 2022/23 with a goal against Arsenal in only his third Premier League appearance to become both Ireland and Brighton’s youngest ever Premier League scorer, and he ended that season with 10 goals in 25 appearances in all competitions.
Ferguson also became only the fourth player ever to score a hat-trick in the Premier League aged 18 in 2023, with a treble against Newcastle United, but he lost his way in the years that followed amid injury and form issues and so joined West Ham on loan in February.
| Appearances | Goals | Assists |
His time at the London Stadium was certainly a disappointing one, and so he simply had to depart Brighton this summer in search of increased game-time with Kostoulas signed and numerous other forwards vying for places up-front.
Roma is definitely a risky move at 20-years-old, given their status as a club and the expectations that come with such size, but if it pays off, then he could well catapult himself back into Seagulls contention this time next year.