Breaking news this transfer deadline day, Brazilian Igor Julio is set for a medical with Crystal Palace in one of the strangest transfer deals we’ve seen since… Glenn Murray?
Igor, 27, is set to join Crystal Palace and become the first player to directly join Palace from Brighton since the Brighton legend back in 2011, but fortunately, doesn’t have the same emotional attachment as Muzza. Either way, there will always be outrage when a Brighton player joins the South London club…
The slight difference… at least Murray wasn’t still contracted by the club when making the move!
5th choice? Disrespected? Overrated?
Igor was snapped up by Roberto De Zerbi in August of 2023 for a fee of around 15m, in a period when he had a large amount of control over signings such as him, Dahoud and Ansu Fati, players he personally requested, and also players who largely were below par.
Left-footed and reasonably consistent in his first season with the Albion, largely playing at left back due to the form of Jan Paul Van Hecke. Seen as an outcast after Roberto De Zerbi left, starting the 24/25 season on the bench and struggling for minutes.
But injuries to Lewis Dunk and Adam Webster saw Igor be reintroduced to the squad and was relatively consistent, before he started making errors, such as Leicester away, and after that, it was downhill for Igor in his Albion career, picking up a long-term injury and being seen off by both Adam Webster and Lewis Dunk, once again.
Brighton have looked to offload the ex-Fiorentina man this summer, and have had no shortage of suitors, with clubs in Spain, Italy and within the Premier League all interested, with West Ham having reported interest since yesterday.
And out of nowhere, he joins Palace on loan for the season with an option to buy, with Brighton fans understandably being furious.
On the whole?
He was a little disrespected in my opinion. Had a mistake in him for sure, and when he was bad, he was REALLY bad. Struggled in the air at times and can be a bit slow, especially in the first few yards. Igor turned a few heads last season, but ultimately Brighton have better in the squad, especially considering the arrivals of Diego Coppola and Olivier Boscagli. But even at Oxford in the week, he showed he isn’t sharp enough and offloading him is the right decision.
A likeable character and a hard worker in his time here, just a shame where the next stop on the Igor express stops…
