Igor Julio on his way to Rush Green now as West Ham pull off sensational hijack
Brighton defender Igor Julio is set to undergo a last-minute medical at West Ham ahead of the 7pm deadline.
Igor was reported to be joining Crystal Palace earlier on transfer deadline day.
However, West Ham look to have pulled off a stunning hijack to beat Palace to the 27-year-old’s arrival, even though Palace are losing Marc Guehi to Liverpool.
Igor hasn’t played in the Premier League yet for Brighton this season, but due to Graham Potter’s defensive issues at West Ham, he could end up earning plenty of game time.
Igor Julio to undergo Rush Green medical as Crystal Palace face late scramble
According to The Times at 4:56pm on Monday, Igor is joining West Ham on a season-long loan.
Peter Rutzler claims that the Brazilian centre-back had started his medical at Crystal Palace, but a late twist has seen him head to East London for medical checks at Rush Green.
West Ham have all but successfully hijacked Crystal Palace’s deal, which is a huge blow for Oliver Glasner thanks to Guehi’s imminent move to Anfield.
Serie A side Como are also said to be keen on Igor but it is understood that he wasn’t keen on a move back to Italy, after initially signing for Brighton from Fiorentina for £14million in January 2023.
What do Brighton think of West Ham-bound Igor Julio?
It doesn’t take too much digging to see that Igor hasn’t been a key player in his two-and-a-half years at the AMEX Stadium.
He’s only played once this season, which came at left-back in Brighton’s 6-0 Carabao Cup win over Oxford United on 27 August.
Away from that, he’s not made any of their three Premier League matchday squads.
- Igor played 16 times in all competitions last season for Brighton
- He needed surgery on a hamstring injury in January, ending his campaign early
- The Brazilian has played in just one competitive game since that injury, which was against Oxford United
Seagulls boss Fabian Hurzeler has been full of praise for Igor, though, despite him not being one of his go-to defenders on the south coast.
“He always trained hard, never complained, accepted his role and then when he got the chance, he was there,” said Hurzeler in November 2024.
Ultimately, it was a hamstring injury that cut short Igor’s appearances in the Premier League last season.
He started 10 times before a setback in January 2025.
While Igor’s not going to be a world-class, headline-stealing signing for West Ham, he is going to be a good, dependable professional who Potter can call upon when needed.
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