On Monday, Premier League club Brighton & Hove Albion announced the signing of goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen from Belgian side Anderlecht.
The 20-year-old has agreed to a five-year contract with the club, although the financial details of the transfer were not disclosed.
However, reports from British media suggest that Brighton paid around £16 million for the talented young goalkeeper, who was named Anderlecht’s player of the season.
Verbruggen, a Dutch goalkeeper, began his career at NAC Breda in the Netherlands before making the move to Anderlecht in 2020.
Brighton coach Roberto De Zerbi expressed his belief that Verbruggen will be a great fit for the club’s playing style, which emphasizes playing out from the back.
“He is used to playing a type of football similar to ours and he will have no problem fitting into our group,” De Zerbi said.
“He has the potential to become a very important player for the club in the coming years.”
Brighton finished sixth in the table and will play in the Europa League next season.
Verbruggen is their fourth signing of the transfer window following the arrivals of Joao Pedro from Watford, Germany midfielder Mahmoud Dahoud from Borussia Dortmund and James Milner from Liverpool.