Brighton have confirmed the arrival of highly-rated Derby County defender Eiran Cashin, ending their long pursuit of the 23-year-old defender. 

Cashin has signed a contract that runs until June 2030, with the Seagulls agreeing a "significant undisclosed fee", reportedly in the region of £9million. 

The Republic of Ireland Under-21 international graduated from the Rams' academy and was thrust into the first-team picture under former Derby boss, Wayne Rooney. 

He has since gone on to make 144 appearances for Derby across all competitions and was a major part of their League One promotion in the 2023-24 campaign. 

Cashin has been one of the standout performers for Paul Warne's side upon their return to the Championship this term, but has recently missed five games with a hamstring injury. 

His absence from the team has seen the Rams slip into the relegation zone, having won just one of their last eight league fixtures in the second-tier. 

No player has played more successful passes (814) in the Championship for Derby than Cashin this season, an area certainly identified by Brighton to fulfil their possession-based philosophy. 

Furthermore, only midfielder Ebou Adams (71) has won more tackles than Cashin (33), with Curtis Nelson (80) the only player to win more aerial duels than the 23-year-old (70) for the Rams. 

"We're delighted to welcome Eiran to the club," Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler said upon the defender's arrival at the Amex Stadium. 

"He's gained a lot of experience in the Championship, has a good profile and as a left-sided defender he will give us another strong defensive option.

"We’re looking forward to working with Eiran and watching him develop with us."

Cashin became Brighton's second piece of business during the January transfer window, having already welcomed Inter Miami's Diego Gomez at the start of last month.