(Credit: Imago)

Pete O'Rourke, Transfer Correspondent

Tue 24 March 2026 10:30, UK

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Brighton and Hove Albion are set to consider the idea of selling goalkeeper Carl Rushworth this summer, sources have told Football Insider.

The Coventry City loanee is into the final year of his contract at the Amex Stadium at the end of the current campaign, and there is a belief at his parent club that it could be their final chance to cash in on him.

The 24-year-old is understood to be desperate to continue playing first-team football, and sources have indicated that Bart Verbruggen will remain the Seagulls’ number one if he is still at the club next term.

Rushworth is beginning to attract interest from a number of Premier League clubs ahead of the upcoming window, and that looks set to force a decision from Brighton.

They risk losing him on a free transfer in 2027 if they do not open the door for him to start, and that could play into the hands of the chasing pack.

All possibilities still open for Carl Rushworth

Brighton’s goalkeeping department has flourished on many different levels this season, as Verbruggen’s reputation has soared at the same time as Rushworth has enjoyed a breakthrough campaign.

The Dutchman’s form is now seeing him linked with a move away from the South Coast in the summer, with Newcastle identifying him as a target to strengthen their hand between the posts.

Former Everton and Aston Villa chief executive Keith Wyness recently told Football Insider that Newcastle may be put off Verbruggen by Brighton’s £50million asking price, but that is unlikely to be the last of the interest in him.

As a result, all possibilities remain open for Rushworth at the moment, as a sale of Verbruggen would likely leave the number one spot up for grabs at Brighton.

He is currently the Championship’s leading goalkeeper with 14 clean sheets from 39 games this season, and that has helped to propel Coventry to the top of the table with just seven games left to play.

It is becoming increasingly likely that he will be playing Premier League football next season, but exactly where that will be remains to be seen.

Brighton set Rushworth transfer valuation

Rushworth has previously had loan spells with the likes of Lincoln and Swansea in recent years, but his stint at Coventry this season has seen him receive plenty more attention than in the past.

With the interest that is building in him from elsewhere at the moment, Brighton have placed a valuation of £20million on him ahead of the summer window.

Both he and Birmingham City loanee James Beadle will return to the Amex at the end of the season, but their next moves remain unclear at this stage.

Rushworth’s ambitions within the game are clear after such a promising season, and he will be hugely keen to ensure that he is playing regular top-flight football next term.