Brighton and Hove Albion have reached an agreement with Tottenham Hotspur for the transfer of defender Luka Vuskovic, setting a new club record fee of £46 million. The deal also includes potential additional payments that could increase the overall value to £50 million.
The 19-year-old Croatian international is set to undergo a medical once his national team's World Cup campaign concludes. Croatia is scheduled to play Portugal in a last-32 tie early Friday morning, UK time.
Vuskovic, who was born in Split, developed through the academy at local club Hajduk. He made history as the youngest player to appear in Croatia's top flight at the age of 16 and subsequently became his club's youngest goalscorer. He had previously agreed to a deal with Tottenham in September 2023, with the intention of joining the club in 2025.
Despite not yet making his debut for Tottenham, Vuskovic gained significant experience on loan with German club Hamburg last season. He made 30 appearances, scoring six goals in the Bundesliga, and is now recognized as one of Europe's most promising young central defenders.
Vuskovic is expected to replace Jan Paul van Hecke in Fabian Hurzeler's squad. In a separate transaction, Tottenham has agreed to pay £52 million for Van Hecke, who is moving in the opposite direction and had one year remaining on his Brighton contract.