Brighton and Hove Albion have signed Australia goalkeeper Mathew Ryan from Valencia for a club-record fee and handed him a five-year contract.
The 25-year-old custodian spent a loan spell with Belgian side Genk towards the end of the 2016-17 campaign and will join the newly-promoted English Premier League side in July, subject to international clearance.
“I’m delighted that we’ve been able to attract Mathew to the club, and he will certainly be an excellent addition to the squad in time for our first season in the Premier League,” said Brighton’s manager Chris Hughton.
Though a transfer fee has not been confirmed, it is believed that Brighton spent around £5million, above their previous record signing Shane Duffy who signed for a reported £4m.
Mat Ryan leaves Valencia having made 21 appearances over a two-year period in all competitions, while he featured 22 times for Genk during the second half of this season.