**Brighton Miss Out on Mats Hummels as Defender Chooses La Liga Move**
Brighton & Hove Albion’s pursuit of Mats Hummels seems to have come to an end, as the seasoned German defender is poised to join Real Sociedad in La Liga. Brighton had shown a keen interest in Hummels, alongside West Ham, both Premier League clubs hoping to secure the services of the former Bayern Munich star.
Albion’s head coach, Fabian Hurzeler, previously expressed his admiration for Hummels, noting the positive discussions they had. “We have a mutual respect and had good conversations, but ultimately, it is up to the player to decide if he can commit fully to the club,” Hurzeler said. His connection with Hummels dates back to their time at Bayern Munich, providing a solid foundation for their talks.
Despite this, it appears that the 35-year-old Hummels, who has had an illustrious career with both Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund, as well as earning 78 caps for Germany, is set to finalize his move to Real Sociedad. Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has reported that Real Sociedad is nearing a deal for Hummels, with a formal proposal already on the table. The final details are being worked out, and the Spanish club is confident they will soon announce Hummels as their new signing.
Brighton, however, has had a busy transfer window. They have already signed several players, including Georginio Rutter, Yankuba Minteh, Malick Junior Yalcouyé, Brajan Gruda, Amario Cozier-Duberry, Ibrahim Osman, and Mats Wieffer. Additionally, they are expected to add Celtic’s Matt O’Riley and Fenerbahce’s Ferdi Kadioglu in the coming days.
On the other hand, Brighton has seen some departures as well. German internationals Pascal Gross and Deniz Undav have moved to Borussia Dortmund and Stuttgart, respectively. Moreover, Billy Gilmour, who made a notable impact in Albion’s recent victory over Manchester United, continues to be linked with a transfer to Napoli.
