Brighton sign Dutch striker Locadia for club record fee

BRIGHTON, England, Jan 19 (Reuters) - Brighton & Hove Albion have brought in PSV Eindhoven striker Jurgen Locadia for a club record fee to bolster their attacking options, the struggling Premier League club said on Friday.

The 24-year-old Dutchman, who has signed a contract until June 2022 on undisclosed terms, cost the south-coast club 14.1 million pounds ($19.55 million) according to British media.

Brighton's previous transfer record was 13.5 million pounds for Club Brugge's Colombian winger Jose Izquierdo last August.

“He is a strong, powerful and quick centre-forward, with a real eye for goal and will increase our attacking options in the second half of the season," said manager Chris Hughton.

“Jurgen already has a prolific goal record with PSV in the Dutch top division, and it is one we hope he can continue here with us in the Premier League,” he added on the club's official website (www.brightonandhovealbion.com).

Brighton are 16th in the standings with 23 points from 23 games, three points above the relegation zone, and have scored just 17 goals, with only Swansea City having netted fewer.

Locadia, who got a hat-trick as a substitute on his league debut aged 18 in a 6-0 win over VVV-Venlo in the 2012/13 season, won the Eredivisie title and Dutch Super Cup in 2015 and 2016.

He has 45 goals from 82 Eredivisie starts and 45 substitute appearances and nine in 15 league games this season.

Locadia has played for the Netherlands from under-17 to under-21 level but has yet to play for the senior side despite being called up three times for the national squad.

($1 = 0.7213 pounds) (Reporting by Ken Ferris, editing by Pritha Sarkar)