“He can play at a very high level” — Brighton unveil record signing Luka Vuskovic in bold £50m swoop | OneFootball

Fabian Hurzeler has insisted Luka Vuskovic will need time to develop at Brighton despite becoming the club's record signing.

Brighton have broken their transfer record to sign the highly-rated defender fromTottenham Hotspur for a fee in the region of £50m.

The Croatian centre-back excelled on loan at Hamburg in the Bundesliga last season, where he scored six goals and was named in the division's Team of the Season.

The arrival of the 19-year-old is seen as a huge coup for Brighton, with Vuskovic having been tracked by Europe's top teams last season.

Spurs have decided to cash in on Vuskovic, following the arrivals of Marcos Senesi and Jan Paul van Hecke this summer, with the latter arriving from Brighton. Vuskovic had been keen to leave North London in search of regular minutes.

He has become Brighton's record signing, eclipsing the £40m paid to sign Georginio Rutter from Leeds United, but Hurzeler has insisted patience will be required with a player still learning the game.

“Luka has enjoyed a fantastic start to his career - it’s one we’ve followed closely," the Brighton boss toldbrightonandhovealbion.com.

“Last season he demonstrated he can play at a very high level and we want to help him build on that within our environment.

“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 thePremier League. We are confident that he will take this in his stride though.”