A defender with a bright future will join Brighton next season after Tottenham accepted a bid worth an initial £46m, with £4m in add-ons. The player, who Tottenham only spent around £12m on, has never played for the club. Spurs will also have a 20 per cent sell-on clause and matching rights for any future move for the Croatian.
The signing is a significant coup for Brighton, given that several top clubs were interested in the player. Brighton made an initial bid of £30m, but it was turned down before they made a significantly improved offer. The club has spent slightly less on the player than they sold Jan Paul van Hecke for this summer.
The player, who starred for Hamburg last season, received high praise from his former boss. He was lauded for his leadership at a young age, as well as his incredible will to win and top-notch attitude towards being a professional footballer. His former boss stated that he believes the player is capable of anything.
The player has also proved to be a goal threat from the back, scoring six Bundesliga goals last season and seven league goals during a season in Belgium. Brighton have also signed another centre-back this week, bringing in Pascal Struijk from Leeds for £20m.
