Brighton were fined £20,000 and given a suspended ban by the Premier League for breaching the rules
The Premier League has reportedly fined Brighton for breaching youth development rules.
Brighton admit having breached a regulation prohibiting approaching or communicating with a registered player or having entered into a pre-registration agreement with a club without written consent.
The undisclosed player involved in the case joined another academy in 2017 before signing a pre-scholarship agreement five years later.
Brighton held the position that talks with the player began on July 2 after the player's registration deadline expired on June 30.
However, following an internal investigation, the club told the first division that this was incorrect since discussions began in April.
Contact was first made on April 9 and continued until June 30, during which time there were 24 cases of communication.
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Another 19 calls were made from July 1 to mid-August.
As a result, Brighton has to pay a fine of £20,000.
They will also have to cover the Premier League's legal costs after signing a penalty agreement.
The Seagulls have been handed a six-month ban, suspended for a year, from registering academy players currently or previously registered with another club.
A Premier League statement reveals that Albion flagged the breach because they initially believed they had acted within the rules.
“The League appreciates the proactive and collaborative approach adopted by the Club, which has resulted in significant mitigation of the sanction,” said the statement read.
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“Upon being aware of all the circumstances, the Club disclosed the violation to the League, conducted an internal investigation and acted in a transparent and cooperative manner at all times.”
Brighton's suspended registration ban began on November 28.
As reported by The AthleticThe club has reminded relevant staff to maintain its policies, procedures and values.
Brighton is also said to be committed to providing them with refresher training to avoid similar cases in the future.
