Why £30m new Brighton signing Charalampos Kostoulas may fail to live up to his price tag
Brighton & Hove Albion’s track record in the transfer market, especially when it comes to identifying and signing young talent, is almost unimpeachable, and a great many of the chances they have taken on youth have paid off handsomely – but even by their standards, the signing of Greek teenager Charalampos Kostoulas for an initial fee of nearly £30m represents a significant gamble.
The amount paid to Olympiacos to secure the 18-year-old’s signature is almost twice as much as any transfer fee ever paid to a Greek Superleague side, and if he triggers an add-on which would take the fee to around £31.5m, Kostoulas would become the most expensive Greek player in history ahead of Kostas Manolas.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdThis is a big-money deal and perhaps one of the biggest chances ever taken by Brighton in the transfer market, especially given that he will become the second most expensive player they have ever signed after Georginio Rutter. But will this risk pay off? We pored over the tape and dug through the stats to find out how likely Kostoulas is to prove worthy of his hefty price tag.
Brighton new boy Charalampos Kostoulas’ precise finishing and aerial prowess
A striker who scored seven goals in 30 appearances for Olympiacos this season, many of them from the bench, Kostoulas certainly has several of the attributes that a Premier League side would expect from an expensive centre-forward.
The quality of his goals jumps off the highlight reels immediately. An excellent finish against PAOK saw him wait patiently for a defender to commit himself to an attempted block before he fired low and hard between his outstretched leg, while the first of two goals against Aris in January saw him attack the right-hand channel and slot the ball into the side netting of the far side of the goal with precision.
Kostoulas isn’t a striker who snatches at chance, but one who works out exactly where he wants to put the ball to work it past the goalkeeper and hits the ball accurately and with power – but his work in the air may be even more impressive.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdThree of his seven goals in 2024/25, all of which came in the Superleague - eight Europa League outings failed to yield a goal – were scored with his head, and the placement of his headers was absolutely impeccable. His second against Aris was perhaps the best.
Finding himself entirely unmarked at the far post, he set himself as if to nod the ball back across the goalkeeper only to shape his header low into the near post at the last moment, wrong-footing the goalkeeper and preventing him from getting down to have any chance at making the save. It was the sort of composed and mature decision making, when presented with a clear sight of goal, that is rarely seen in such a young player.
Kostoulas’ game offers more than intelligent finishing in front of goal, however. He regularly drops deep into the channels, finding spaces between defence and midfield to receive passes and demonstrates the ability to protect the ball and play smart lay-offs to help progress the ball upfield and into dangerous positions.
Given the way Brighton play under Fabian Hürzeler, with plenty of positional fluidity and with wingers and attacking midfielders looking to bomb on past their counterparts with late runs, that skill should fit into the broader strategy very nicely. While it would be a reach to say that Kostoulas is a playmaker, he can play a key role in the sort of attacking build-up that the Seagulls thrive upon.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdHe also plays a major role in Olympiacos’ high press, another string to his bow which his new manager will appreciate. Kostoulas was responsible for an average of 2.7 ball recoveries per game in the Superleague over the past year, a high number, and made 1.4 tackles per match. He’s both committed and effective when trying to in the ball back.
Ball control and physical prowess present problems
There is, however, room for improvement in other areas. In particular, his close control lacks finesse, especially on the run, and he struggles to dribble past opponents or to manoeuvre it past defenders in tight one-on-one situations.
Kostoulas, on average, succeeded with exactly one dribble per game over the course of the campaign, a modest success rate of 40%, and watching his attempts suggests that it would be lower in the Premier League. There are too many slightly heavy touches and when trying to sprint as soon as he controls the ball, the ball is allowed to bobble too often, preventing him from getting it completely under his spell.
That could limit his ability to generate chances against more tightly-packed defensive lines and also reduces his overall effectiveness when picking up in deeper positions. He can shield it in and pass it, but won’t enjoy success turning and attacking defenders as it stands.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdOf course, given his age, there is plenty of time for him to add some finesse to his game and develop past some of his technical deficiencies – although his price tag suggests that Hürzeler intends for him to be first-team ready, or at least adjacent to it. There is only so much patience that a £30m player can necessarily expect, and his ability to handle the pressure of his transfer fee will shape the extent to which he succeeds at the Amex Stadium.
The greater concern, however, is that however quickly Kostoulas improves his technique, his physical limitations may put a slightly lower ceiling on his potential than Brighton may want.
He lacks express pace or a keen burst of acceleration to mitigate his deficiencies when carrying the ball and can’t be expected to beat defenders on the outside with sheer speed. He’s also, despite his evident aerial prowess, not particularly tall – at 6’0”, he may not be short, but it contributes to a success rate in aerial duels of 51%.
That isn’t particularly bad, of course, but it does mean that he won’t get to the ball to make those pinpoint headers as often as he might want, and nor will he carve chances for those precise finishes out using raw pace.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdIf Kostoulas doesn’t develop his ball control and work out ways to squirm past defenders one-on-one, then he will always be limited in his ability to create his own shooting opportunities. That’s the biggest barrier that he needs to hurdle in order to live up to his £30m fee.
Of course, betting against Brighton’s scouting team is generally a losing proposition. Their capacity to find and nurture young talent is as good as that of any team in Europe, and they will have a plan for Kostoulas’s improvement and a road map for how he will slot into the system. For the armchair scout watching his game, there are concerns – but if any side can figure out how to help a young player move past them, it’s Brighton.
Comment Guidelines
National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.