Brighton just made the biggest financial bet in club history on a 19-year-old who never played a single competitive minute for Tottenham. Croatian center-back Luka Vuskovic is officially a Seagull, and the price tag is turning heads.
The deal is worth an initial £46 million — roughly $59 million — with another £4 million in add-ons that could push it to £50 million. Spurs also secured a 20 percent sell-on clause, meaning they’ll get a cut if Brighton ever moves him. Vuskovic signed a five-year contract with an option for a 12th month.
Here’s the wild part: Tottenham signed him from Hajduk Split back in 2025, then immediately loaned him to Hamburg in Germany’s second division last season. He never played a game for Spurs. Not one. And now they’ve flipped him for a club-record fee.
Vuskovic wanted first-team football and made it clear he preferred a permanent move over another loan. Brighton gave him that. He’s already played against England at this summer’s World Cup, so he’s not exactly unknown. But he’s still raw — and Brighton’s head coach Fabian Hurzeler knows it.
Hurzeler: ‘He’ll Need Time’
Hurzeler didn’t try to spin this as an instant-impact signing. He told the club’s website that Vuskovic has had a fantastic start to his career but acknowledged the adjustment ahead.
“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,” Hurzeler said. “We are confident that he will take this in his stride though.”
Smart move by Brighton. They finished eighth in the Premier League last season, which earned them a spot in the Conference League. They need bodies for European competition. Vuskovic gives them depth and long-term upside.
For Tottenham, this is the first major outgoing of a summer where they’ve already spent big. They dropped £100 million on Sandro Tonali from Newcastle and another £85 million on Mateus Fernandes from relegated West Ham. They also paid Brighton £52 million for Jan Paul van Vecke earlier this month. So essentially, they sold Vuskovic to fund part of that van Vecke deal. Nice bit of business.
Spurs have also been active on free transfers, picking up Andy Robertson, Marcos Senesi and Martin Dubravka. And they’re reportedly eyeing Bournemouth’s Eli Junior Kroupi next.
Brighton isn’t done yet either. With European football back on the schedule, expect more moves before the window closes.
Vuskovic is a center-back who reads the game well and competes physically. He’s got Croatian composure on the ball. But he’s still developing, and the Premier League doesn’t wait for anyone. Whether he becomes a starter this season or takes time to grow into the role, Brighton just bet a record sum that he’ll be worth it.
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