Brighton sign Millwall winger for £15m after Championship club ‘reluctantly’ allow Nigeria international to make Premier League move before deadline

Femi Azeez has playfully told Brighton & Hove Albion he is “sorry” about their wait for the winger to join the Premier League club after signing from Millwall for a fee that could exceed £15 million.

Albion announced the arrival of Azeez, 25, well after the transfer deadline of 23:00 BST on Tuesday because the Seagulls had completed the deal sheet by then, concluding Millwall’s club-record sale by the extended deadline of 01:00 on Wednesday.

“Sorry to keep you waiting,” the Nigeria international told fans in a clip released on Wednesday morning showing him arriving at Albion’s training ground and posing in the club’s home shirt.

The wait is over. 😏 pic.twitter.com/06Cg0YI85g

— Brighton & Hove Albion (@BHAFC) September 2, 2026

Femi Azeez stats: ‘Strong desire’ to leave Millwall for Brighton

Brighton will pay an initial £12.5m for Azeez, who joined the Lions from Reading in 2024 and scored 14 goals in 77 appearances for the Championship promotion hopefuls.

“Femi expressed a strong desire to depart the club this window in pursuit of Premier League football, which The Lions have reluctantly agreed to accept,” Millwall said in a statement, thanking Azeez for a spell that included 11 goals and eight assists in 37 games last season and a place in the PFA Championship team of the year.

Albion Sporting Director Mike Cave said Azeez had been “one of the most exciting attacking talents in the Championship” during Millwall’s run to last season’s play-offs.

Brighton beat Aston Villa at home before losing at Chelsea on Sunday in their second league match of 2026/27.

Millwall beat Bristol City away and Norwich City at home in the second tier but lost 5-1 at Southampton on Saturday.

When does the summer transfer window 2026 close?

The window opened on Monday June 15 and shut on Tuesday September 1.

After that, every Premier League club can register a squad of up to 25 players, 17 of whom are allowed to be non-Home Grown Players.

A Home Grown Player has been registered with any club affiliated to the English or Welsh Football Association for three entire seasons or 36 months across their career before his 21st birthday, or the end of the season during which they turn 21.

Under-21 players do not count towards the 25-man limit.

How does Premier League transfer window extension work?

Clubs can have an extra two hours to file the remaining documentation if they submit a deal sheet confirming that an agreement has been reached.

The deal sheet must arrive fully completed before the transfer window closes.

For international transfers, clubs also have to comply with the FIFA Transfer Matching System deadline of midnight.

When was transfer deadline day around Europe?

There are slight variations between the major European leagues. Here’s when the summer transfer windows shut.

When does the 2026/27 winter transfer window open?

The Premier League winter transfer window opens on Friday January 1, 2027 and closes on Monday February 1, 2027 at 23:00 BST.

Can Premier League clubs sign players outside of the window?

Clubs can only add players outside of transfer windows who are free agents and if they have room in their 25-man squad.

Premier League teams can still announce deals with other clubs, but those players will not be registered to play until the window re-opens.

This means there is usually little to no movement when the window closes, with four months to wait until the window re-opens.

Players can be released by Premier League clubs at any time, but the usual rule is that they cannot sign for another side outside of the market.