Brighton complete signing of Luka Vuskovic from Tottenham
Brighton & Hove Albion have confirmed the signing of Croatia international Luka Vuskovic from Tottenham Hotspur.
The 19-year-old central defender has joined for a club record fee of £46million ($61.5m; €54m). He has signed a five-year deal, with an option for a further year.
The Athletic revealed in June that Brighton had made a £30m bid for Vuskovic. An improved offer was rejected before agreement was reached following the £52m sale of Dutch international central defender Jan Paul van Hecke from Brighton to Tottenham.
Add-ons will potentially take the deal for Vuskovic to £50m. Tottenham also have a 20 per cent sell-on clause as well as matching rights for any potential future sale.
We are delighted to confirm the signing of defender Luka Vuskovic from Tottenham Hotspur! 🤝
— Brighton & Hove Albion (@OfficialBHAFC) July 14, 2026
Brighton head coach Fabian Hurzeler said: “Luka has enjoyed a fantastic start to his career — it’s one we’ve followed closely.
“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 to the Premier League. We are confident that he will take this in his stride.”
Vuskovic came through the ranks in his homeland with Hajduk Split, making his senior league debut two days after his 16th birthday in February 2023.
He spent the second half of the 2023-24 season on loan with Polish side Radomiak Radom, before joining Belgian Pro League outfit Westerlo on loan in 2024-25. His form for Westerlo earned him a move to Tottenham.
Vuskovic impressed in a third loan spell with Hamburg last season, scoring six goals in 28 league appearances in Germany’s Bundesliga. He earned a sixth cap for Croatia at the World Cup in June in their 4-2 defeat by England in the opening fixture of the group stages.
An unusual deal for Brighton
Brighton do not usually spend anywhere near as big on young players as the club record outlay on Vuskovic. They have made an exception for an exceptional talent, one of the brightest centre-back prospects in world football.
He never made an official appearance for Tottenham after moving from Hajduk Split in February 2025, and could not see a pathway to first-team minutes.
Brighton can provide that opportunity. Although the fee may seem excessive, Vuskovic is seven years younger than Van Hecke and has huge potential for growth in his game. Considering Brighton’s track record in player development, it is not unreasonable to think they will make a significant profit on Vuskovic at some point.
He will be fighting for game time with two more summer signings in a centre-backs rebuild by Brighton. Pascal Struijk has arrived from Leeds United for around £18m, Michael Svoboda from Venezia for £4.3m, after Adam Webster was released at the end of last season.