Hamburg and Borussia Monchengladbach have shown interest in recent days in Michael Svoboda, Venezia's 27-year-old Austrian captain and centre-back, but Brighton is now the leading club in pursuit of him. The Premier League club has told Venezia it intends to pay the player's €5 million release clause. Svoboda, who has four caps for Austria, has also reached a contractual agreement with Brighton. He chose Brighton over the other two interested clubs. He joined Venezia in September 2020, and his current contract runs until 2029. In the 2025/2026 Serie B season, he made 29 appearances, scoring 3 goals and providing 2 assists. His current market value is €3.50m, according to Transfermarkt.