The 21-year-old has signed a five-year contract at the Amex, with Brighton agreeing a fee with the Bundesliga club as Tuesday's window drew to a close. Chema Andrés progressed through Real Madrid's youth ranks before making his La Liga debut in January 2025, and the defensive midfielder made 41 appearances last season as Stuttgart reached the Champions League and the German Cup final.
Sporting director Mike Cave said the club had tracked the player for some time.
"We're delighted to welcome Chema to the club. He has an excellent pedigree having come through at Real Madrid; he followed that with a very good season with Stuttgart last season," Cave said.
"We had been aware of Chema's potential for sometime, and we are delighted to welcome him to the club, and look forward to working with him."
Real Madrid retained a sell-on interest in the deal, having sold Chema Andrés to Stuttgart for around €3million in 2025 rather than triggering a buyback clause worth considerably less than his current valuation. The Bundesliga club's board had made clear they would have preferred to keep him this season, with VfB Stuttgart sporting director Fabian Wohlgemuth saying the club respected his wish to test himself in the Premier League despite the timing leaving little chance to recruit a replacement.
The speed of the move caught much of German football by surprise. Negotiations only began in earnest on deadline day itself, with Stuttgart weighing up the financial upside of a sale against the disruption of losing a player who had become an established member of Sebastian Hoeness's midfield rotation over the past year.
Chema Andrés's estimated market value had roughly doubled over the course of his debut Bundesliga season, strengthening Stuttgart's negotiating position even as the clock ran down.
Chema Andrés arrives as a versatile option for Brighton's midfield and slots in alongside Carlos Baleba's former berth after the Cameroon international's summer move to Manchester United. He becomes the latest arrival from the club's well-established pipeline of young continental talent, following a recruitment strategy under head coach Fabian Hürzeler that has prioritised technically gifted players still developing their reputations.
Having begun this season on the fringes of Sebastian Hoeness's side at Stuttgart, appearing twice from the bench, the move gives Chema Andrés a fresh route into regular first-team football at Premier League level.