Brighton & Hove Albion have confirmed the acquisition of Croatia international Luka Vuskovic from Tottenham Hotspur.
The 19-year-old centre-back has joined for a club-record fee of £46 million ($61.5m; €54m), signing a five-year contract with the option of an additional year.
Reports in June indicated Brighton had opened negotiations with a £30m bid. An improved proposal was initially turned down before an agreement was finalised in the wake of Jan Paul van Hecke’s £52m move to Tottenham. Add-ons could raise the total outlay for Vuskovic to £50m, while Tottenham have retained a 20 per cent sell-on clause and matching rights on any future transfer.
We are delighted to confirm the signing of defender Luka Vuskovic from Tottenham Hotspur!
— Brighton & Hove Albion (@OfficialBHAFC) July 14, 2026
Head coach Fabian Hürzeler welcomed the arrival: “Luka has enjoyed a fantastic start to his career — one we have followed closely. Last season he demonstrated he can perform at a very high level and we want to help him build on that within our environment. There has been a lot of external noise about Luka joining us, but he is still a young player who will need time to adjust to the demands of playing for Brighton and the Premier League. We are confident that he will take this in his stride.”
Vuskovic progressed through the academy at Hajduk Split, making his senior league debut two days after his 16th birthday in February 2023. He spent the latter half of the 2023-24 campaign on loan at Polish side Radomiak Radom before joining Belgian Pro League club Westerlo for the 2024-25 season. His form there earned a move to Tottenham.
The defender impressed during a third loan spell with Hamburg last term, scoring six goals in 28 Bundesliga appearances. He earned a sixth senior cap for Croatia at the World Cup in June, featuring in the 4-2 group-stage defeat to England.
An unusual deal for Brighton
Brighton rarely invest sums of this magnitude on young players, making an exception for a talent regarded as one of the brightest centre-back prospects in world football. Vuskovic never made an official appearance for Tottenham following his February 2025 arrival from Hajduk Split and could not foresee a pathway to first-team minutes.
The Seagulls can provide that opportunity. While the fee may appear excessive, Vuskovic is seven years younger than Van Hecke and possesses significant growth potential. Given Brighton’s track record in player development, a substantial future profit is a realistic prospect.
He will compete for playing time alongside two other summer defensive recruits as the club rebuilds its back line. Pascal Struijk has arrived from Leeds United for approximately £18m, and Michael Svoboda has joined from Venezia for £4.3m, following Adam Webster’s release at the end of last season.