Brighton and Hove Albion Women will say goodbye to three players this summer as the club begins its squad rebuild ahead of a new season. Goalkeeper Sophie Baggaley and midfielder Libby Bance will leave when their contracts expire later this month, while Swedish forward Rosa Kafaji returns to Arsenal following the conclusion of her season-long loan.
The departures mark the end of a chapter for a squad that made history this season by reaching the club’s first-ever FA Cup final at Wembley — a landmark moment that head coach Dario Vidosic was quick to acknowledge.
“I would like to thank all three for their service to the club,” Vidosic said. “During my time Sophie and Rosa have been great to work with and extremely professional both on and off the field. They helped the club reach its first Wembley final and should be proud of the part they played in that historic achievement. When I had the opportunity to work with Libby I found her attitude and professionalism first class too. I wish them all every success for their future careers.”
Baggaley’s departure will be felt most keenly. The England international joined the Seagulls from Manchester United in 2023, made 42 appearances for the club and was voted players’ player at the 2023-24 end of season awards. She was central to Brighton’s historic fifth-place WSL finish last season and played a pivotal role in the run to Wembley. In a fitting postscript to her time on the south coast, Baggaley was called up to the England senior squad on Monday for World Cup qualifiers against Spain and Ukraine later this month.
Bance is a product of the Brighton academy who made her senior debut back in 2020 and accumulated 27 appearances for the club over six years. Her time with the Seagulls was punctuated by loan spells — at Rangers, Bristol City and Birmingham City — as she sought regular playing time. Women’s and girls’ managing director Zoe Johnson described her as someone who had “given so much to the badge.”
Kafaji, who joined on loan from Arsenal last summer, made 24 appearances and scored twice during her spell on the south coast before returning to north London.
Johnson paid tribute to all three: “It is always tough to part ways with players who have given so much to the badge. These individuals have made a defining contribution during their time here.”
With the club’s first Wembley final now in the history books, Brighton’s women’s team heads into the summer transfer window with a platform to build from — and spaces to fill.
