Deal being lined up for Brighton defender – ‘Concrete interest’ but won’t be easy

Schalke are eyeing a move for Brighton and Hove Albion defender Igor Julio this summer, with a loan deal set to be offered.

Sky Germany and BILD report on the 28-year-old and Schalke’s plans to try and sign him from Brighton in the coming weeks.

Schalke squad planning

Sky explain that Schalke are pushing ahead with their squad planning and have set their sights on Igor Julio. The Brighton defender is an option on loan.

The German side are targeting a centre-back and would have liked to sign Sean Dulic, but he is heading to TSG Hoffenheim instead. So sporting director Frank Baumann is eyeing alternative options.

The Brighton defender is one of them. Schalke would like to sign him on loan with an option to buy. The finances of such a deal would have to be beneficial though.

At this point, Schalke are seen as underdogs because of their current financial circumstances.

Concrete interest in Brighton man

BILD conform that information. The newspaper reports that Schalke have ‘concrete interest’ in the centre-back.

Their idea is to secure a loan deal with an option to buy. However, there is ‘no great jubilation’ at the club at present because a deal is not seen as imminent.

Sporting director Frank Baumann and squad planner Maximilian Lüftl still want to try and make it happen. Should they be unable to striker a deal with Brighton, they do have alternatives.

Igor Julio is seen as the ideal candidate to bolster their defence, though. The German club are planning a major overhaul of their defensive options this summer, with a left back and a right back also on the agenda.

The problem might be that Julio’s current deal with Brighton expires in 2027. So, they are unlikely to sanction a loan deal, or they’d risk losing him on a free next summer. The option Schalke want would, likely, have to be an obligation.

That’s something the two clubs will have to work out. For now, Julio appears to just be an option Schalke want to explore.