Vuskovic set to join Brighton as Spurs accept improved bid

Centre-back Luka Vuskovic is set to join Brighton from Tottenham.

The deal agreed between the clubs is for around £50m, made up of £46m plus £4m in very achievable add-ons. There is also a 20-per-cent sell-on clause and matching rights in the deal.

It is an improvement on Brighton's previous bid of £45m in total, including add-ons, which was rejected by Spurs.

Vuskovic is set to depart as the fourth-most expensive sale in Tottenham's history without ever playing a competitive match for the club.

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The highly-rated defender was signed from Hadjuk Split in 2023 as a 16-year-old for £9.5m. He officially joined last summer and scored in a pre-season friendly against Reading.

The 19-year-old went on loan to Hamburg and was one of the stand-out performers in the Bundesliga last season.

Vuskovic's priority was to play first-team football this season, but he was not open to the idea of another temporary move. He viewed Brighton as a great next step in his career.

His prospects of being a first-team regular at Spurs appeared to be slim after the signings of Jan Paul van Hecke - acquired in a £52m deal from Brighton - and Marcos Senesi in his position.

Realistically, he would have been at least fifth choice in the Spurs squad, behind also Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero at present.

There is a real feeling at Spurs that Vuskovic could become one of the best defenders in the world but that he was not quite ready to make that step to being a regular starter for them in the Premier League.

Spurs have protected themselves by including a matching clause in the deal in case he fulfils his huge potential.

Vuskovic is currently at the World Cup with Croatia. They play Portugal in the round of 32 at 12am on Friday morning.