Brighton have secured Croatia defender Luka Vuskovic from Tottenham for a club-record fee of £46m. The 19-year-old has signed a five-year contract, which includes an option to extend the deal by a further year.

The Seagulls previously saw two bids for the defender rejected last month. The total transfer fee could eventually rise to £50m, depending on performance-related payments.

Vuskovic initially joined Tottenham in 2025 from Hajduk Split, following a deal agreed two years prior. Shortly after his arrival at Spurs, he moved on loan to Hamburg, where he made 30 appearances and scored six goals in the Bundesliga last season.

Brighton head coach Fabian Hurzeler stated that the club has tracked the progress of the highly-rated defender for some time.

“Last season he demonstrated he can play at a very high level and we want to help him build on that within our environment,” said Hurzeler.

“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,” he added.

“We are confident that he will take this in his stride though.”

Vuskovic replaces Dutch centre-back Jan Paul van Hecke in Hurzeler’s squad. Van Hecke has completed a move to Tottenham on a long-term deal for a fee of £52m.

A product of the Hajduk Split academy, Vuskovic holds the record as the youngest player to feature in Croatia’s top flight at age 16 and also became the youngest goalscorer in his former club’s history.

His performance in the Bundesliga last season earned him the Rookie of the Season award and a place in the league’s Team of the Year.

Vuskovic has earned six senior caps for Croatia, scoring one goal. He also made his World Cup debut against England during the group stages last month.

Brighton will begin their Premier League campaign at home against Aston Villa on Sunday, 23 August, at 14:00 BST.