Brighton sign Canada striker Promise David on loan from Union Saint-Gilloise

Brighton have signed Canada striker Promise David on a season-long loan from Union Saint-Gilloise, with an obligation to buy attached.

Per ESPN, the deal was announced on Tuesday and "includes an obligation to make the move permanent if certain conditions are met, Brighton said". That is stronger than an option: once the conditions trigger, Brighton must complete the transfer.

Union Saint-Gilloise said they would receive a record transfer fee for David, but no figure was disclosed — and none is stated here, because none of the sources read reported one.

David is 25 and, in Brighton sporting director Mike Cave's words, "an out-and-out striker who possesses outstanding physical attributes" and a track record of scoring goals. He joined Union in the summer of 2024 and scored 19 goals in his first season; overall he scored 41 goals in 82 appearances with nine assists.

The move fits Brighton's long-running model of buying from smaller leagues before the wider market catches up, and the loan-with-obligation structure spreads the cost across two windows rather than front-loading it.

Brighton begin the 2026/27 Premier League season at home to Aston Villa on Sunday 23 August.

Sources: ESPN (18–19 August 2026).