The latest transfer news as Wolves and Crystal Palace enquire to sign a Brighton player.

Wolverhampton Wanderers are reportedly interested in signing Brighton & Hove Albion centre-back Igor Julio this summer but face competition from two Premier League rivals.

Vitor Pereira is eager to bolster the depth and quality in Wolves’ defence as he’s keen to continue with his back-three formation. Last season, Pereira often had to utilise Matt Doherty out of position just to feel comfortable playing his favoured system.

The likes of Nasser Djiga and Santiago Bueno were available to Pereira during the second half of 2024/25 but he preferred the experience of Doherty. Now the head coach could find a better balance by signing a proven asset he can trust immediately to add the desired depth.

With this in mind, Spanish publication Diario Vasco reports Wolves have added Brighton’s Igor to their shortlist. The Old Gold are said to have already lodged an official enquiry as they seek to discover the demands of a potential deal. There’s plenty of competition, though, as Leeds United, Crystal Palace, Real Madrid and Real Sociedad are all credited with interest.

Igor requests transfer away from Brighton

Wolves could have a good chance of landing Igor as the Brazilian has requested a transfer away from Brighton this summer. Not helped by injuries, Igor’s game time hasn’t been as regular as he would’ve hoped since he signed from Fiorentina two years ago, with just 2,596 Premier League minutes racked up in the past two seasons.

Brought in for around £17 million by former Albion manager Roberto De Zerbi, Igor has had spells of solid form. Still, he has failed to get into a proper rhythm at the American Express Stadium and has often been down the pecking order behind the likes of Lewis Dunk, Jan Paul van Hecke and Adam Webster.

It awaits to be seen how much the Seagulls would demand to let Igor go, but it’s unlikely they would settle for a loss. There’s not bad value in matching the £17 million price tag they paid, though, as Igor is 27 and very much in his prime years. The defender also has two years left on his contract and Brighton have the option to extend that by a further year.

How would Igor fit in at Wolves?

Physical, left-footed and proven to be capable in playing out from the back with progressive dribbles and passes, Igor could slot nicely into the left side of Wolves’ defence. Toti Gomes has been terrific under Pereira but has struggled for consistency in the past, so it makes sense to bring in another option in his position.

Not only would Igor provide effective competition for Toti but the Brighton man is extremely commanding in his figure and would help Wanderers’ back line become sturdier. Igor is experienced, too, as he played 110 times for Serie A side Fiorentina before joining the Seagulls. He had successful spells at SPAL, Austria Vienna, FC Liefering and RB Salzburg before that, too.

Would you like to see Igor make the move to Molineux? Let us know in the comments section.