Femi Azeez has completed one of the biggest moves of his career after Brighton & Hove Albion officially signed the Super Eagles winger from Millwall on a four-year contract.
The 25-year-old Nigerian becomes a Brighton player after the Premier League club and Millwall completed the necessary paperwork following a deadline-day agreement. Brighton confirmed that the clubs submitted a deal sheet before the 11pm transfer deadline on Tuesday, allowing the transaction to be completed by the extended 1am deadline. The club did not disclose the transfer fee.
However, reports surrounding the deal indicate that Brighton agreed to pay £12.5 million initially, with performance-related add-ons capable of taking the total value to £15 million.
Azeez’s contract at the Amex runs for four years, while reports indicate that Brighton also have an option to extend the agreement for another season. The transfer completes a remarkable rise for a player whose route to the Premier League did not follow the traditional academy-to-top-flight pathway.
Azeez was released by Watford at youth level before rebuilding his career in non-league football. He played for Northwood, Wealdstone and Hanwell Town before earning his opportunity in the professional game with Reading in 2019.
His performances eventually earned him a move to Millwall in 2024, where he developed into one of the Championship’s most productive attacking players. His 2025/26 campaign proved decisive.
Azeez helped Millwall reach the Championship play-offs and was subsequently recognised by both the PFA and EFL, earning selection in their respective Championship teams of the season.
He finished his Millwall spell with 77 appearances, 15 goals and 13 assists, numbers that helped attract Brighton’s interest.
The Nigerian’s progress accelerated further when he received his Super Eagles call-up. Azeez made his Nigeria debut in June 2026 against Zimbabwe and produced an immediate statement, scoring twice in the 2-0 victory. He followed that performance with an assist in Nigeria’s next match, a 3-0 win over Jamaica.
Brighton sporting director Mike Cave believes the winger has earned his opportunity at the highest level. “He was one of the most exciting attacking talents in the Championship,” Cave said after the signing, while praising Azeez’s contribution to Millwall’s successful campaign.
The Brighton move now places Azeez among Nigeria’s latest generation of players competing in the Premier League and provides him with the opportunity to test himself against England’s top-flight opposition.
It is also a significant commercial victory for Millwall. Reports indicate that the London club originally signed Azeez from Reading for approximately £1 million in 2024, meaning the reported Brighton package represents a substantial return on that investment.
For Azeez, however, the numbers tell only part of the story. His journey from being released by a Premier League academy, through non-league football and the Championship, to securing a top-flight contract with Brighton is a striking example of a career rebuilt through progression rather than a conventional academy pathway.
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