Exeter City sign Brighton defender Ed Turns on permanent deal
Exeter City have announced the signing of Ed Turns on a two-and-a-half year contract from Premier League side Brighton and Hove Albion.
The 22-year-old centre-back, who has captained the Seagulls under-21 side, makes the move from the south-coast having had Football League experience with Leyton Orient and Crewe Alexandra.
Manager Gary Caldwell said: “Ed is a young player with huge potential that has experience of League One, and has played a lot of football for his age. He has won League Two.
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“We believe he is the type of player we want to be signing. We can develop him to help the team, and as permanent signing he is here on our terms and we don’t have the risk of losing loan players. He is a ball playing centre-back who is aggressive out of possession and adds to an area of the team that is seriously depleted.”
The Wales under-21 international came through the Brighton academy and made his first team debut in the EFL Cup in September 2021 aged 18 and was also involved in his first Premier League matchday squad the same season.
In January 2023 he joined Leyton Orient, where he was part of the O’s League Two promotion winning squad and scored his first two professional goals while at the club. He rejoined on a season-long loan for their maiden season in League One, but was recalled in January 2024 to sign for Crewe Alexandra. He scored one goal in his 12 appearances for the Alex. He has played four times for Wales under-21, having been named in their most recent squad announcement in October of last year.
He is the second signing on deadline day after Exeter City signed forward Andrew Oluwabori from Halifax Town on a two-and-a-half year deal. The 23-year-old has been brought in to replace Millenic Alli who left the Grecians for Luton Town earlier in the transfer window.
Oluwabori, who can play anywhere across the front three, has scored six goals in 27 appearances in the National League this season. This included two in his final two starts for Halifax against Gateshead and Solihull Moors.
