Pascal Gross: The Brighton bargain who cost nothing and became a Premier League icon

Pascal Gross has just been named the Premier League's player of the month for September, an award that confirms what Brighton supporters have known for nearly a decade: the German midfielder is one of the smartest pieces of business in the competition's modern era. At 35, Gross has been directly involved in 85 top-flight goals for the Seagulls and, in purely financial terms, his net cost to the club stands at around minus £3m.

• Gross has been involved in 85 Premier League goals across his two spells with Brighton.
• Brighton paid £3m for him in 2017, sold him to Dortmund for £8m in 2024 and brought him back in January for £1.7m.
• No player has created more chances this season: 15 in five games.
• Only Bruno Fernandes, Kevin de Bruyne and Mohamed Salah have created more chances than Gross since 2017.
• He is the sixth oldest player to win the Premier League's monthly award.

How Pascal Gross became Brighton's most valuable bargain

Brighton paid around £3m to sign Gross from Ingolstadt in 2017, shortly after the German club were relegated. He was Albion's first addition after sealing promotion to the top flight. In 2024, Borussia Dortmund came calling and paid £8m to take him back to Germany.

The story took another turn in January, when Brighton re-signed him for about £1.7m. Add the original fee, the sale and the buy-back, and the club has come out roughly £3m ahead on a player who has delivered 34 goals and 51 assists in 252 Premier League appearances.

A surprise return that has exceeded every expectation

When Gross walked back through the doors at the Amex Stadium aged 34, many saw it as a romantic farewell, a chance to close his career where he had made his name. He had played 66 times for Dortmund, scoring once and providing 17 assists, but his return to the Premier League has been anything but a gentle wind-down.

Gross has played every single minute of Brighton's eight matches in all competitions this season. Only Everton teenager Harrison Armstrong has covered more ground in the Premier League, with Gross approaching 60km already. His engine at 35 is as striking as his football brain.

There may have been concerns that he would not be able to recreate the impact of his first period at the Amex, but those have already been dispelled.

Gross has been creating chances at an elite level since 2017

The number that defines Gross best is his chance creation. Since he first arrived in the Premier League nine years ago, he has produced 562 opportunities for team-mates. Only Bruno Fernandes, Kevin de Bruyne and Mohamed Salah have managed more. And Gross missed a season and a half of that period while playing in Germany.

No one has delivered more successful crosses, including corners, in that time: 483. Trent Alexander-Arnold and James Ward-Prowse have attempted more, but Gross has been more accurate. For passes into the box, including those crosses, he ranks fourth across the division.

There is an argument Gross is pound-for-pound the best value player in the Premier League over the last 10 years, especially when you look at his goal involvements.

Football intelligence over raw speed

Gross has never been quick, but he has turned that limitation into a strength. His awareness allows him to find pockets of space all over the pitch, and his decision-making means he rarely needs to run away from anyone. He loves a sharp cut or a Cruyff turn to buy himself time, then plays the first-time pass that breaks a line.

His versatility is another sign of his football intelligence. He has operated as a full-back, as a central midfielder and, more recently, as a number ten closer to goal. That adaptability has kept him essential across different managers and systems.

His versatility tells you about his intelligence as well. He is able to play as a full-back, central midfield or, recently, as more of a 10. He is scoring and making goals.

The dressing-room leader Brighton fans adore

Gross' influence goes far beyond matchdays. He drives standards in training, sets the bar for those around him and commands respect from team-mates and coaches alike. Brighton fans across generations have taken him to heart, and he is already being spoken about as one of the club's great modern players.

His move to Dortmund in 2024 felt like heartbreak for many supporters, as if watching someone leave for a childhood sweetheart. His return in January repaired that bond and strengthened a connection few players ever build with a fanbase.

If he was called Pascal Silva and played for a top-six club, he might get the recognition and respect he truly deserves.

What Brighton are chasing this season with Gross in charge

Brighton sit third in the Premier League table, and much of that start can be traced back to their German playmaker. With three goals and three assists, Gross is level with Chelsea's Joao Pedro for the most goal contributions in the division this season.

The club are chasing a return to European football, and having Gross performing at this level is their greatest asset. Although he has retired from international duty with Germany after the World Cup, his club career shows no sign of slowing down.

I am sure this won't be his last season with Brighton, but even if it was, he is already going to be remembered as one of the Brighton greats by their supporters.