Brighton & Hove Albion have completed the signing of Croatian defender Luka Vušković from Tottenham Hotspur in a deal understood to be worth approximately £46 million (€53 million). The 19-year-old has signed a five-year contract with the Seagulls, effectively filling the defensive vacancy created by Jan Paul van Hecke’s £52 million move to North London last month.
The transfer fee represents a club-record investment for Brighton. Tottenham had acquired Vušković from Hajduk Split only last year, yet the teenager departed without making a senior appearance for the club. His path to first-team football became increasingly complicated following the arrival of Marcos Senesi from Bournemouth, prompting the decision to sell.
Impressive Hamburg loan
Vušković spent the 2024-25 season on loan at Hamburger SV, where he established himself as a key figure in the 2. Bundesliga. The centre-back made 30 appearances and contributed six goals, performances that attracted attention from several clubs. The German side had harboured hopes of securing another loan arrangement or permanent transfer, but Brighton’s intervention ends any prospect of a return to the Volksparkstadion.
Hürzeler urges patience
Brighton head coach Fabian Hürzeler, who joined from FC St. Pauli last summer, welcomed the defender while tempering expectations. “Last season he demonstrated he can play at a very high level and we want to help him build on that within our environment,” Hürzeler said. He emphasised the need for adaptation time, noting: “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.”
Despite his age, Vušković arrives with international pedigree having earned caps for Croatia, including a start at the World Cup in their 4-2 defeat to England. He becomes the latest young talent to join Brighton’s evolving squad under Hürzeler’s guidance and will participate in pre-season preparations ahead of the new Premier League campaign.