Brighton sign Tottenham teenager Luka Vuskovic for club-record £46m after zero Spurs appearances

Brighton have signed Croatian centre-back Luka Vuskovic from Tottenham for an initial club-record £46 million, with the 19-year-old agreeing a five-year contract — plus an option for a further 12 months — having never made a single competitive appearance for Spurs.

The overall fee could rise to £50 million through £4 million in add-ons, and Tottenham negotiated a 20 per cent sell-on clause into the agreement. Vuskovic joined Spurs from Hajduk Split in 2025 and spent last season on loan at German club Hamburg, where he impressed sufficiently to attract Brighton’s interest. Rather than accept another temporary move, the defender pushed for a permanent transfer to secure regular first-team football.

Brighton head coach Fabian Hurzeler welcomed the signing but was measured in his expectations. “Luka has enjoyed a fantastic start to his career — it’s one we’ve followed closely,” Hurzeler said on the club’s website. “Last season he demonstrated he can play at a very high level and we want to help him build on that within our environment. There’s been a lot of external noise about Luka joining us, but he is still a young guy 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 though.”

Vuskovic featured for Croatia at this summer’s World Cup, where his country faced England, underlining his standing as one of European football’s more highly regarded teenage defenders.

The deal represents Tottenham’s first significant outgoing of a busy summer window. Spurs have spent heavily on incomings, paying £100 million to bring Sandro Tonali from Newcastle and £85 million for midfielder Mateus Fernandes following West Ham’s Premier League relegation. They also signed Jan Paul van Vecke from Brighton for £52 million earlier this month, alongside free-transfer arrivals Andy Robertson, Marcos Senesi and Martin Dubravka. Tottenham are reported to have interest in Bournemouth youngster Eli Junior Kroupi as they look to add further depth.

For Brighton, the Vuskovic deal sets a new transfer record and signals ambition ahead of their return to European competition. The Seagulls finished eighth in the Premier League last season and will play in the Conference League next term, with further signings expected as Hurzeler prepares his squad for the added demands of a continental campaign.