Brighton Set to Reacquire Pascal Gross from Dortmund

In a recent report from transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, Brighton & Hove Albion is reportedly close to securing a permanent transfer for midfielder Pascal Gross from Borussia Dortmund. The 34-year-old’s return to East Sussex is said to be imminent, with a medical examination anticipated to take place within the next 48 hours.

This development follows Brighton’s head coach, Fabian Hurzeler, revealing earlier in December that discussions had occurred between him and the club’s leadership regarding potential new signings for the upcoming transfer window.

“We have had talks, definitely, because we have regular exchanges,” Hurzeler stated ahead of his team’s 2-1 defeat against Premier League leaders Arsenal last Saturday. “We always strive to understand what is best for the club and the individual players. The transfer market will open soon, and we will see if we will be active.”

When asked if there are specific areas of the squad he is looking to strengthen in January, Hurzeler remained reticent, stating, “No, I won’t say.”

However, it now appears that Brighton is positioning itself to enhance its midfield options with Gross’s potential arrival, just over a year after his departure to Dortmund, where he joined his boyhood club for an initial fee of £8 million (€9m/$11m) in August 2024.

While Romano has not disclosed a transfer fee, The Athletic reports that Brighton is set to pay just under €2 million (£1.7 million/$2.35 million), along with an additional €1 million in potential bonuses to facilitate Gross’s return to the Amex Stadium.

During his last season with Dortmund, Gross made 49 appearances across all competitions and scored his sole goal in a 3-0 victory against Sporting CP in the Champions League in February. He also contributed four assists in Dortmund’s 6-0 victory over Union Berlin in the Bundesliga, becoming only the third player in German top-flight history to achieve such a feat.

After transferring to England from Ingolstadt in 2017, Gross solidified his status as a Brighton legend during his seven-year tenure on the south coast. He was the club’s all-time leading scorer in the Premier League until his record of 30 goals was surpassed by Danny Welbeck this season.

In total, Gross made 261 appearances for Brighton, playing a pivotal role in establishing the club as a regular Premier League side. He netted nine league goals to aid his former team in finishing sixth in the 2022-23 season, thereby securing the club’s inaugural European campaign through qualification for the Europa League.

Expressing his “disappointment” at not having the opportunity to work with Gross, Hurzeler, who succeeded Roberto De Zerbi last summer, remarked, “We are genuinely sorry to lose Pascal, but we fully understand his situation. It is reasonable that he wished to take the opportunity to join one of Germany’s top clubs, and he departs with our best wishes for the future.”

Gross has also earned 16 caps for Germany, with his solitary international goal coming in a friendly against Greece in June 2024. He subsequently represented his country at the 2024 European Championship held in Germany.

In an open letter addressed to Brighton supporters following his transfer to Dortmund, Gross expressed his intention to return, stating, “There are so many people I would like to thank… and to the fans, who have been amazing since the day I arrived, thank you. I’m sorry to be leaving you, but I hope to have the chance to say goodbye and thank you in person at a match very soon.”

He added, “I don’t know what the future holds after playing, but the club means so much to me and my family. I know I will be back at some point in the future, even if it’s just as a fan to support the club.”

Should the transfer be finalized as anticipated, Brighton will be aiming for Gross to make an immediate impact in the latter half of the 2025-26 season. Currently, Hurzeler’s side finds itself in 14th place in the league and is enduring a six-match winless streak, having drawn twice with West Ham United in December and faced disappointing losses to top-four teams Aston Villa, Liverpool, and Arsenal during the festive period. Brighton will resume their campaign against Burnley this Saturday.

In contrast, Niko Kovac’s Dortmund currently holds the second position in the Bundesliga, nine points behind leaders Bayern Munich, with Gross featuring in 11 of their 15 league matches this season.