Joel Veltman rejects Brighton offer as he prepares to join new club
Joel Veltman has decided to find a new club when his contract at Brighton & Hove Albion expires, sources have told Football Insider.
The Seagulls have offered the 34-year-old a new deal but he has failed to accept and will become a free agent in eight days' time.
Mats Wieffer was Fabian Hurzeler's first-choice right-back this season, leading to the veteran Dutch defender falling down the pecking order.
Veltman is now almost certain to depart Brighton unless the Amex Stadium hierarchy can prompt a late change his mind about putting pen to paper.
The East Sussex outfit have already lost Jan Paul van Hecke to Tottenham Hotspur this summer and are set to wave goodbye to a second senior defender.
In the summer of 2020, the Seagulls signed the right-back for £900,000 from Ajax and his six-year spell at the club seems to be coming to an end.
Joel Veltman exit update emerges at Brighton
Veltman has been a key part of Brighton's first-team squad since joining the club, but his influence has slowly diminished in recent seasons.
In the previous campaign, while the 28-cap Netherlands international made 24 Premier League appearances, only nine were as a starter.
Veltman is hoping for a new challenge as he prepares to leave the Seagulls.
The defender has chosen not to sign a new contract due to a number of other offers on the table.
Fabian Hurzeler has defensive reinforcement ready at Amex Stadium
Sources told Football Insider on 16 June that Brighton were looking for a compromise to sign Luka Vuskovic from Tottenham, who have set a £60million price tag on him.
With Van Hecke leaving and Lewis Dunk not getting any younger, Hurzeler is clearly in need of reinforcements at centre-back.
The Seagulls are now also short on options at right-back ahead of next season and they will definitely need to sign someone to support Wieffer with Veltman on his way out.
Olivier Boscagli may finally have a chance to cement his place in the German manager's starting lineup next season now that there has been significant turnover in the backline.