With Charalampos Kostoulas, Brighton & Hove Albion secures the next Greek offensive talent after Stefanos Tzimas. The 18-year-old is moving to the Premier League after his first professional season for Olympiacos Piraeus.
Charalampos Kostoulas is one of Europe’s most promising strikers and caught the eye last season at Olympiacos. The 18-year-old center forward, who came up through the club’s youth ranks, won the league and cup double in his first season and impressed with six goals and two assists in 35 competitive appearances.
As Brighton & Hove Albion announced on Thursday evening, Kostoulas is joining coach Fabian Hürzeler’s team. The 18-year-old has signed a five-year contract with the Seagulls and, according to the English sports magazine The Athletic, will bring in a transfer fee of around 35 million euros plus bonus payments.
If the bonus payments are made, Kostoulas would be the most expensive Greek player of all time, overtaking Kostas Manolas, for whom SSC Napoli once paid AS Roma €36 million. Behind him is Stefanos Tzimas, another transfer from Brighton, after around €26.5 million was paid to 1. FC Nürnberg for the striker in January 2025. The 19-year-old returned to Franconia on loan until the end of the season and continued to impress with the second division club.
Time together in the U21s
Kostoulas, who plays both as a center forward and a deep-lying striker, already stood out in the youth ranks: In the 2023/24 season, he contributed five goals and two assists to Olympiacos’ U19 tournament victory in the Youth League. The young player will now join Tzimas at Fabian Hürzeler’s side from next season – the two have a history together in the Greek U21 team.
“Charalampos is an outstanding young player and we are delighted that he is coming to Brighton,” said his new coach Hürzeler in the club’s announcement about the new signing. “He wants to play in the Premier League, and we are excited to see what he can bring to the team,” said the German, who explained that the Greek player “offers various offensive options” and that the club will “support him in adapting to his new environment.”
