Luka Vušković’s move from Tottenham Hotspur to Brighton & Hove Albion has been confirmed in a deal worth an initial £46 million, with a further £4 million in potential add-ons.
The transfer makes the 19-year-old Tottenham’s third-highest sale of all time, a remarkable feat considering the Croatian never made a competitive appearance for the club.
Spurs have become increasingly shrewd in the transfer market in recent years, generating substantial fees for outgoing players, with several of their biggest sales coming within the last five years.
Vušković is unlikely to be the only defender to feature among Tottenham’s biggest departures this summer. Should Radu Drăgușin’s loan move to Fiorentina become permanent in 2027, the agreed £21.4 million obligation would place him ninth on the club’s all-time sales list.
Here’s a look at Tottenham Hotspur’s five biggest sales in club history.
Croatian Defender Becomes Tottenham’s Third Biggest Sale
1. Gareth Bale to Real Madrid – £85.3 million
Gareth Bale’s move to Real Madrid in 2013 remains Tottenham Hotspur’s biggest sale, with the £85.3 million fee setting a new world transfer record at the time.
Having joined Spurs from Southampton in 2007 for an initial £5 million, Bale developed into one of the club’s greatest-ever players, making 203 appearances and establishing himself among the world’s elite during his first spell in north London.
It came as little surprise when Real Madrid secured his signature, with the Welshman going on to enjoy one of the most decorated careers in modern football. During his time in Spain, Bale won 16 major honours, including five UEFA Champions League titles.
The money received from his sale funded Tottenham’s famous seven-player recruitment drive in the summer of 2013, bringing in the likes of Christian Eriksen, Erik Lamela, Nacer Chadli and Roberto Soldado.
Bale later returned to Spurs on loan for the 2020/21 campaign, making a further 34 appearances and finishing his Tottenham career with 71 goals in 237 matches.
Read more: Why Tottenham Hotspur Need Attacking Reinforcements This Summer
2. Harry Kane to Bayern Munich – £82 million
Tottenham and England’s all-time leading goalscorer, Harry Kane, left his boyhood club to join Bayern Munich in the summer of 2023.
Widely regarded as one of the greatest strikers of his generation, Kane scored 280 goals in 435 appearances for Spurs between his first-team debut in 2011 and his departure 12 years later.
Bayern paid £82 million for the England captain despite him entering the final year of his Tottenham contract. Since moving to Germany, Kane has continued his remarkable goalscoring form, netting 146 goals in 147 appearances while helping Bayern win four major honours, including back-to-back Bundesliga titles.
Tottenham have attempted to replace Kane’s output through the likes of Richarlison, Dominic Solanke, Mathys Tel, Timo Werner and Randal Kolo Muani. However, none have come close to replicating the impact of the club’s greatest-ever goalscorer.
Read more: Spurs Reject Newcastle Bid for Midfielder
3. Luka Vušković to Brighton & Hove Albion – £46 million
Vušković’s move to Brighton ranks third on Tottenham’s all-time sales list and represents one of the most profitable pieces of business in the club’s history.
Spurs agreed a £12 million deal to sign the Croatian from Hajduk Split in 2023, with the defender officially arriving in north London two years later after remaining with his boyhood club.
Following Tottenham’s pre-season campaign, Vušković spent the 2025/26 season on loan at Hamburger SV, where he made 30 appearances, showcasing himself as one of Europe’s brightest young defensive talents.
However, following the arrivals of Marcos Senesi and Jan Paul van Hecke, first-team opportunities appeared limited under Roberto De Zerbi. Rather than remain in north London, Vušković opted for a move to Brighton in search of regular Premier League football.
Tottenham will receive an initial £46 million for the defender, with a further £4 million in achievable add-ons, while also retaining a 20% sell-on clause, making it one of the most lucrative sales in the club’s history.
Read more: Everton Interested in Tottenham International
4. Kyle Walker to Manchester City – £45 million
One of Tottenham’s greatest-ever full-backs, Kyle Walker left the club for Manchester City in the summer of 2017 for an initial £45 million, with a further £5 million in add-ons. At the time, the deal equalled the world-record fee paid for a defender.
Walker joined Spurs from Sheffield United alongside Kyle Naughton in 2009 as part of a combined £9 million deal. He went on to make 229 appearances for the club over the next eight years.
During his time in north London, Walker formed one of the Premier League’s finest full-back partnerships with Danny Rose, helping Tottenham record consecutive third and second-place finishes under Mauricio Pochettino in 2015/16 and 2016/17.
Spurs made a substantial profit on the England international, who went on to become one of Manchester City’s most decorated players. Walker made 319 appearances for City, winning 17 major honours, including six Premier League titles and the UEFA Champions League in 2023.
Now at Burnley, Walker is preparing for the new season with the Clarets after bringing an end to his trophy-laden spell at the Etihad Stadium.
5. Brennan Johnson to Crystal Palace – £35 million
Brennan Johnson completes the top five and is the only player on this list to leave Tottenham during the January transfer window.
Although his spell in north London was relatively brief, the Welsh winger secured his place in club folklore by scoring the winning goal in Spurs’ 1-0 victory over Manchester United in the 2025 UEFA Europa League final.
Having joined from Nottingham Forest for £47.5 million in 2023, Johnson made 107 appearances for Tottenham, scoring 27 goals. He finished as the club’s top scorer in 2024/25 before falling out of favour under Thomas Frank during the first half of the following campaign.
That ultimately paved the way for his £35 million move to Crystal Palace in January 2026, bringing an end to a memorable two-and-a-half-year spell in north London.
Johnson has since made 26 appearances for the Eagles and helped them lift the 2026 UEFA Conference League. While he is still waiting for his first goal for the south London club, the 25-year-old will hope to establish himself under new manager Pierre Sage ahead of the new season.
A New Era of Tottenham Sales
Vušković’s transfer has become one of the biggest departures in Tottenham’s history and is further proof of the club’s increasingly effective approach in the transfer market.
With several high-profile exits in recent years, Spurs have demonstrated a greater ability to generate significant transfer fees while maximising the value of outgoing players.
More movement is expected in north London before the transfer window closes, with uncertainty surrounding the futures of Cristian Romero, Guglielmo Vicario, Lucas Bergvall, Djed Spence and several others.
As a result, more names could yet be added to this list in the coming weeks, let alone the seasons ahead.
Featured Image Credit:
IMAGO / Sebastian Frej
