Brighton have confirmed the signing of Belgium defender Maxim de Cuyper from Club Brugge on a five-year deal.
Seagulls boss Fabian Hurzeler said the left-back, who joins for a reported £17.5m, “clearly has a winner’s mentality”.
De Cuyper, 24, made 54 appearances in all competitions last season as Club Brugge reached the Champions League last 16, where they lost to Aston Villa.
Capped 10 times by his country, he will join Brighton this weekend for the start of their pre-season campaign.
Hurzeler said: “Maxim is a creative left-back who has great experience at Champions League level as well as in the domestic league.
“He has a great reputation for creativity and has shown his ability across different positions, although we primarily see him challenging for a left-back spot with us.”
De Cuyper is Brighton’s second recent defensive addition, following Frenchman Olivier Boscagli’s arrival on Wednesday from PSV Eindhoven on a free transfer.