Former Gunner could leave Brighton despite £7.5m bid rejected

Former Arsenal youth winger faces a pivotal week, with Brighton and Hove Albion to decide whether to sell or keep him, deciding against the option of another loan.

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Andy Naylor reports for The Athletic that Amario Cozier-Duberry won’t be leaving Brighton and Hove Albion on loan this summer, and he’s set to either stay at the club or complete a permanent transfer exit this week.

Naylor reports that Brighton have already rejected a bid of £5m from Anderlecht and offers of £6m and £7.5m from Rangers, with the player under contract until 2028 but yet to agree to new terms. Augsburg and Paris FC have also previously been linked with interest.

There has also been widespread loan interest in the winger, but Brighton have turned it down to focus on either keeping the player or selling him for a profit.

Photo via Arsenal Academy on Twitter

As reported earlier in the summer, Cozier-Duberry got chances with Brighton in pre-season, and he made his senior competitive debut for the side in their Conference League qualifier last Thursday.

But the 21-year-old then dropped out of the squad for the Premier League opener against Aston Villa, hinting that a transfer may be the most likely outcome at this stage.

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Cozier-Duberry scored 10 goals and assisted another 10 on loan with Bolton last season, helping them to achieve promotion to the Championship through the play-offs.

That was despite a knee injury limiting him to 41 appearances in all competitions, ruling him out from late January to early April.

Cozier-Duberry spent five years with Arsenal up until 2024, when he refused to sign a new deal and joined Brighton for a training compensation fee.