Brighton sign Brazilian defender Igor from Fiorentina

Brighton & Hove Albion have signed defender Igor Julio from Serie A side Fiorentina on a four-year contract, the Premier League club said on Wednesday.

They did not disclose the transfer fee but British media said that Brighton would pay Fiorentina 17 million euros ($18.80 million) for the 25-year-old.

Igor first joined Fiorentina on loan with obligation to buy from Italian club SPAL in January 2020, and signed a permanent deal in May 2021.

The Brazilian made nearly 110 appearances for Fiorentina in all competitions.

He was one of the team's key players in the 2022-23 campaign, helping Fiorentina reach the Europa Conference League final and the Italian Cup final, both of which they lost to West Ham United and Inter Milan, respectively.

Igor made a switch to Europe from Brazil in 2016, signing with Austrian second-tier side Liefering, before spells with Salzburg and loans at Wolfsberger and Austria Wien.

($1 = 0.9045 euros)