‘Disgraceful’ – Brighton fans rip into Tony Bloom after star player’s ‘appalling’ reveal
Brighton fans have fumed at owner Tony Bloom after a new report emerged on how close club legend Lewis Dunk came to joining Nottingham Forest in the last transfer window.
Brighton have struggled for consistency under Fabian Hurzeler this season and are in danger of potentially being pulled into a relegation battle.
Football Insider have revealed that owner Bloom is considering sacking Hurzeler soon, after a 1-0 loss to rivals Crystal Palace saw them go five games without a win in the Premier League.
The Seagulls have won just seven league matches all season so far, with just the one victory in their last 12, despite maintaining the core of a squad that finished eighth in 2024-25.
Club captain and legend Dunk has remained a regular at the back for his boyhood club, but came surprisingly close to leaving last week to join bottom-half rivals Forest.
Brighton reportedly accepted a bid for Dunk but he refused to leave
Football Insider revealed near the end of January that Forest were eyeing a move for Dunk due to Sean Dyche being a keen admirer of his defensive talents.
The Seagulls were not believed to be open to letting the 34-year-old depart, however, and his 23-year-long association with the club continued past the end of the window on 2 February.
Dunk featured as normal for his 24th appearance of the campaign against Palace on Sunday, but a new report from the Mail on Monday claimed that Brighton did actually accept an offer for his services from Forest, and that the player himself was the one to rebuff the move.
The report states that Amex Stadium officials were willing to let the club legend move on, and he was given permission to make the switch should he wish to do so.
Dunk chose to reject the move, though, despite the offer from Forest reportedly including a significant pay rise and a contract to 2028 for the 34-year-old.
Seagulls fans fume at board after shock Dunk to Forest reveal
Brighton fans want Hurzeler sacked right now as they struggle for form, and there is a dark cloud hanging over the club as they hurtle towards the bottom end of the table.
This latest revelation has only angered supporters further, with most of their grievances directed at Bloom and the board.
One fan took to X to react to the Dunk report by saying: “If this is accurate, it is appalling...the club hierarchy either accepted an offer against the players’ wishes, or worse, accepted the offer without even notifying the player. Either way, such disregard for the club captain is disgraceful.“
Another said: “Club is an absolute shambles, something needs to change, and sharpish.“
While one supporter added: “It’s getting ugly at this club. There’s a lot that needs to be changed beyond the gaffer as well.”