When transfer market masters Brighton and Hove Albion spend big, people pay attention. Here, they’ve committed an initial €35m on a recently turned 18-year-old called Charalampos Kostoulas.

If all add-ons are paid to Olympiakos, he’ll become the club’s second biggest purchase of all time. It’s already, by quite a distance, the highest fee ever received by a Greek club.

So, what impact, if any, will the young centre-forward have in Fantasy Premier League (FPL)?

We’ll take a look during this Scout Report piece, including data and images from our Premium Members Area.

PLAYING STYLE

As ‘Babis’ only turned 18 at the end of May, there’s not a lot of history to look at. But he’s already won trophies with the Piraeus-based giants, following in the footsteps of his dad Athanasios – a centre-back who won seven league titles and two Greek Cups throughout his eight years there.

Before playing a part in 2024/25’s domestic double, the wonderkid’s five goals in eight matches helped Olympiakos’ next generation win the 2023/24 UEFA Youth League. A 3-0 win over AC Milan came soon after eliminating Inter Milan and Bayern Munich.

Manager José Luis Mendilibar saw enough potential to promote him to a first-team squad that had just captured the UEFA Conference League.

Last November, Kostoulas bagged the opening goal in a huge 3-2 win away to rivals PAOK, going on to score the winner in February’s reverse fixture. Still aged 17, he ended his breakthrough campaign with seven goals and two assists in all competitions.

A selection of Greek journalists and coaches have very positive things to say about Kostoulas’ strengths. Mostly that the 6ft 1in forward is fast and physical, with plenty of time to improve his dribbling and decision-making.

“They now have a promising up-and-comer with a killer instinct in front of goal, bolting speed, slick dribbling skills and undeniable confidence – all of which led to comparisons to the great Gabriel Batistuta and the nickname ‘Babistuta.’ If he gets the support and patience he deserves, then Albion may have found their next star.” – Sports journalist Kostas Lianos

Wow, a potential Batistuta is on the way. And it sounds like he’s a good thinker, willing to learn.

“His physical capacity for his age is extraordinary. But, for me, what people underestimate a lot in Kostoulas is how clever and how intelligent he is during the games. Most people only see the first parts, like the physicality and how good his technique is.

“His biggest strength, for me, is his intelligence and how fast he can adapt to what a game needs. It is amazing for his age.” – Sotiris Silaidopoulos, the coach of Olympiakos’ UEFA Youth League success

Furthermore, Kostoulas has already netted twice in two Greece Under-21 appearances.

WHERE KOSTOULAS FITS IN AT BRIGHTON

First of all, he gets to join another Greek youngster, as the Seagulls signed Stefanos Tzimas for £22m in February and let him finish the season at Nürnberg on loan.

Kostoulas was a number nine at youth level, but the constant goals of Ayoub El Kaabi meant he was used as a support striker in the senior squad. This is a good fit for his instinctively well-timed runs into the box.

Such versatility is cherished at Brighton and the initial thought is that he’ll be a replacement for Joao Pedro, linked to both Newcastle United and Chelsea, while being ready to fill in when 34-year-old Danny Welbeck gets an occasional rest.

He could flourish in the team that came fifth for 2024/25 shots on target (190) and ended joint-fifth for goals (66) and big chances (110).

However, the many returns of loaned-out and previously injured players mean he’ll have plenty of initial competition.

An ankle injury ended Georginio Rutter‘s season before Gameweek 30, but he delivered three goals and two assists in the previous nine outings. He usually played just behind the centre-forward.

Matt O’Riley replaced him in that role, before Germany Under-21 star Brajan Gruda shone during the closing Gameweeks. The latter racked up four attacking returns in five, despite only starting the final two.

Meanwhile, Tzimas is ready to get going, plus Julio Enciso and Facundo Buonanotte are back from Premier League loans.

WILL KOSTOULAS BE WORTH BUYING IN FPL?

Right now, there’s too much uncertainty. So it depends on how many of the above are either sold or temporarily sent out to other clubs.

In any case, early fixtures have them near the bottom of our Fixture Ticker between Gameweeks 1 to 6. This does, at least, provide more time to assess him before our ‘Jump on, Jump off’ article suggests covering Brighton from Gameweek 10 onwards.

Fresh from his best-ever FPL campaign, 10-goal Welbeck will still likely be the main route of investment, unless Kostoulas has a phenomenal pre-season. Gruda’s superb end-of-season displays could keep him in the line-up and Rutter intends to be back for pre-season.

But when Kostoulas’ time comes – whether it be 2025/26 or 2026/27 – he has the physical attributes to succeed. Brighton know what to look for in transfer targets, so such a large outlay shows they’re confident.