Brighton & Hove Albion defender Joel Veltman signs new two-year contract

Brighton & Hove Albion have confirmed that Joel Veltman has signed a new two-year contract with the club.

The 31-year-old versatile defender briefly became a free agent when his original deal at the American Express Community Stadium expired on June 30.

However, Veltman has decided to commit his future to the Seagulls and extend his contract until the summer of 2025.

Speaking to Brighton's official website about Veltman's new deal, head coach Roberto De Zerbi said: "I am very pleased that he has extended his contract. He is a good example to the other players, and he will be a key and important player for us."

Veltman, an Ajax academy graduate, ended his eight-year senior association with the Dutch giants to join Brighton in the summer of 2020 and has since established himself as a valuable first-team squad member.

The defender has made 106 appearances for the Seagulls in all competitions, scoring three goals, and featured 31 times in the Premier League last season as De Zerbi's men secured a sixth-placed finish and qualified for the Europa League.

Two more years of @Joel_Veltman! ✨✍️ pic.twitter.com/TkrqxfbGsD

— Brighton & Hove Albion (@OfficialBHAFC) July 3, 2023

Veltman, who can operate at either centre-back or right-back, is the seventh first-team player to extend his Brighton contract since the turn of the year after Jason Steele, Solly March, Adam Lallana, Evan Ferguson, Jeremy Sarmiento and Moises Caicedo, although the latter has been strongly tipped to leave the club this summer amid interest from Chelsea.

Meanwhile, 20-year-old academy graduate Ed Turns has signed a new two-year deal until 2025 with a club option for a further year.

The centre-back spent the second half of last season on loan with League Two champions Leyton Orient, scoring twice in 16 league starts.

"We've been really pleased with the way Ed has continued to develop and that was reflected in both his inclusion in the first-team squad here last season, and the success of his time with Leyton Orient," technical director David Weir told Brighton's official website.

Turns joined Brighton's academy as a 14-year-old and gradually progressed through the youth ranks before making his professional debut in a 2-0 EFL Cup third-round win over Swansea City in September 2021, while his only other first-team appearance came against Forest Green Rovers in the EFL Cup second round at the start of last season.

Brighton have completed four signings so far this summer, with goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen the latest name to arrive on the South coast after Joao Pedro, James Milner and Mahmoud Dahoud.