Kofi Shaw made 19 appearances for Bristol Rovers’ first-team after joining the academy as a 14-year-old
Daniel Hargraves Bristol Rovers reporter
20:41, 01 Aug 2025
Kofi Shaw pictured in action for Bristol Rovers(Image: Richard Martin-Roberts – CameraSport via Getty Images)
Bristol Rovers have confirmed the sale of academy graduate Kofi Shaw to Premier League club Brighton and Hove Albion on the eve of the new season.
Shaw made his first-team debut on the final day of the 2023/24 season before going on to make a total of 18 appearances across all competitions for the Gas last term, alongside a loan spell at National League side Yeovil Town.
10 of those matches came in Rovers’ rotten winless streak at the end of the season that saw the Gas condemned to relegation to League Two. The 18-year-old’s talents were a rare positive for the club.
Bristol Live understands that Brighton’s interest in Shaw dates back months and that the Seagulls have paid a significant undisclosed fee that is expected to reach the seven-figure mark. He will link up with their Under-21s side.
The teenager joined Rovers at the age of 14, rising through the club’s academy system before making his debut against Wigan Athletic in April 2024.
Under the management of both Matt Taylor and Inigo Calderon, Shaw was tipped as the next big prospect to come out of the club’s academy while he has also featured regularly for the Gas under Darrell Clarke in pre-season, scoring against his former loan side Yeovil.
Both Clarke and director of football Ricky Martin have reinforced the fact that the Pirates will be trading until the end of the transfer window on September 1, and will have to operate within their means.
Shaw’s sale is not the only high-profile exit from Rovers expected to be completed this summer with the Gas in need of recouping some funds following last season’s relegation.