---
title: "Brighton break transfer record to sign teenage defender Vuskovic"
description: "Brighton & Hove Albion have agreed a club-record deal for the 19-year-old Croatian centre-back Luka Vuskovic, signing him from Tottenham Hotspur in a move reported to be worth an initial £46 million and potentially rising higher with add-ons."
category: "Sports"
category_url: https://newsparlor.com/category/sports
author: "Daniel Morales"
published: 2026-07-14T10:29:00.000Z
updated: 2026-07-14T10:29:00.000Z
canonical: https://newsparlor.com/article/brighton-sign-vuskovic-club-record
tags: ["football", "premier-league", "transfers", "brighton", "tottenham"]
---
# Brighton break transfer record to sign teenage defender Vuskovic

Brighton & Hove Albion have agreed a club-record deal for the 19-year-old Croatian centre-back Luka Vuskovic, signing him from Tottenham Hotspur in a move reported to be worth an initial £46 million and potentially rising higher with add-ons.

Brighton & Hove Albion have broken their transfer record to sign the highly rated defender Luka Vuskovic from Tottenham Hotspur, adding one of Europe's most promising young centre-backs to a squad already known for its recruitment of emerging talent.

Tottenham [accepted Brighton's improved offer for the 19-year-old Croatia international](https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11095/13559569/luka-vuskovic-transfer-news-tottenham-defender-set-to-join-brighton-after-improved-bid-accepted), with the fee reported at an initial £46 million and rising toward £50 million once performance-related add-ons are included. The deal surpasses the £40 million Brighton paid for Georginio Rutter a year earlier.

## A player Spurs never used

Vuskovic joined Tottenham from the Croatian club Hajduk Split in 2023, but he [never made a competitive appearance for the north London side](https://www.espn.com/soccer/story/_/id/49237524/tottenham-accept-brighton-bid-luka-vuskovic). Because post-Brexit rules bar English clubs from fielding overseas players under the age of 18, Spurs sent him out on loan to gain experience, most recently to the German club Hamburg, where he emerged as one of the standout young defenders in the Bundesliga.

His sale ranks among the largest in Tottenham's history for a player who never featured for the first team in a meaningful match, a reflection both of his potential and of the depth Spurs have built at the back.

## Brighton's model

The signing fits Brighton's established strategy of investing heavily in young players with high resale value, then developing them for the first team or a future sale. The club has agreed a long-term contract with Vuskovic, betting that his season in Germany has prepared him for the demands of the Premier League.

Tottenham, for their part, are reported to have protected their interest in the player's future, retaining a sell-on clause that would give them a share of any subsequent transfer. For Brighton, committing record resources to a teenager underlines their confidence in both his current ability and his long-term development as they look to strengthen their defense for the coming season.