Brighton have signed Croatia defender Luka Vuskovic from Tottenham for a club record fee of £46m on a five-year contract, with an option for a further year.

The Seagulls had two bids for the 19-year-old turned down last month but his transfer fee could rise to £50m with potential additional payments.

Vuskovic joined Tottenham in 2025 from Hajduk Split after agreeing a deal with the Premier League club two years earlier.

He was sent out on loan to Hamburg shortly after arriving at Spurs and made 30 appearances for the German club last season, scoring six goals in the Bundesliga.

Brighton head coach Fabian Hurzeler said the club has followed the highly rated Vuskovic’s career 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,” 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 will replace Netherlands centre-back Jan Paul van Hecke in Hurzeler’s squad, who has moved in the opposite direction and joined Spurs on a long-term deal for £52m.

Born in Split, Vuskovic came through the academy at local club Hajduk, becoming the youngest player to feature in Croatia’s top flight when he was just 16 – and going on to become his club’s youngest goalscorer.

He was named Rookie of the Season for his impressive campaign in the Bundesliga last season, and also claimed a spot in the league’s Team of the Year.

Vuskovic has six senior caps and one goal for Croatia and made his World Cup debut against England in the group stages last month.

Brighton start the new Premier League season against Aston Villa at home on Sunday, 23 August at 14:00 BST.