Spurs face Luka Vuskovic’s growing exit fears

Luka Vuskovic, 19, is drawing interest from Brighton, Bayern Munich and Barcelona as Spurs try to keep a prized young centre-half focused on the World Cup—after a summer that left questions over how valued he feels in north London.

Dallas is set to be the stage where Luka Vuskovic tries to quiet one specific problem for Croatia: Harry Kane. The Tottenham-bound centre-half is only 19. yet his name is already spreading across Europe as a player who can change games in a flash—overhead kicks. scorpion finishes. and a confidence that looks older than his age.

For Spurs, though, the World Cup is not just a platform. It’s a test of whether they can keep control of a player they signed for £12m from Hajduk Split in 2023. and who is now under contract until 2030. Tottenham insist Vuskovic is not for sale. The message is clear: focus on Croatia first. then spend time with new head coach Roberto De Zerbi so the club’s decision-making is in the same room as the player’s next steps.

De Zerbi, meanwhile, is already reshaping his back line. Marco Senesi has signed on a free. and Jan Paul van Hecke is expected to join the group currently including Micky van de Ven. Cristian Romero. Kevin Danso and Radu Dragusin. Van Hecke is central to Spurs’ summer story—because the same deal that would strengthen De Zerbi’s squad is also the kind of connection that can make a young defender reconsider where he fits.

Brighton have already put a marker down with an ambitious £30million move for Vuskovic. Bayern Munich and Barcelona are also among the expanding list of admirers. with both clubs linked to the teenager as he builds a reputation for attacking defenders. Brighton’s pursuit matters not only for the money, but because Vuskovic is thought to be interested in the project. Brighton’s record of identifying and developing young talent is part of why their interest is treated as something more than background noise.

Spurs’ side of the story runs through confidence and control. Tottenham played a role in Vuskovic’s first taste of life at N17 when he appeared in pre-season last summer. scoring away at Reading. But he still ended up on loan again. That decision is at the heart of the uncertainty hanging over him now.

His summer preseason involvement came under then-manager Thomas Frank. who played him before deciding to send him out on another loan because he did not want Vuskovic’s progress to stall by not playing regularly. The complication is how it landed on his side. The feeling in his camp is described as not being enamoured by the treatment in north London last summer—so while Spurs talk up his long-term future. his route through their plans has so far been a sequence of exits rather than a steady climb.

This was to be Vuskovic’s third loan after Spurs struck the deal to sign him from Hajduk Split for £12m in 2023. First, he went to Radomiak Radom in Poland. Then came a year in Belgium at Westerlo. with the move delayed because he could not complete his transfer to England before he turned 18. A further loan would deepen the suspicion that he is not wanted or truly valued in N17—something De Zerbi has to counter quickly if Spurs are serious about keeping him.

The parallels being drawn in football circles are hard to ignore. William Saliba joined Arsenal from Saint-Etienne in 2019 at the age of 19 and spent the next three seasons back in France on loan at different clubs. His impatience was clear, and would-be suitors came calling. But he was 22 when Mikel Arteta brought him into the Arsenal squad. by which point he was ready for the Premier League—and he has not looked back since.

That’s the comparison Spurs are effectively hoping Vuskovic can follow. Whether he does comes back to a single question: can he get the timing right. and can he get the trust he needs before options narrow?. His performances in the World Cup are expected to impact the range of choices available to him.

Before the World Cup spotlight, Vuskovic comes with evidence from Germany. Last season he had spark in the Bundesliga on loan at Hamburg. He left Germany at the end of the season with an armful of awards as the team survived their first season back in the topflight. He won Rookie of the Month four times and made Team of the Season in Kicker magazine.

There were goals that seemed built for headlines, too. His first goal was Hamburg’s first after returning to the top flight. His stunning scorpion kick in the ‘Nordderby’ against Werder Bremen was voted Goal of the Month for December. and it also won a place in the Goal of the Season poll. Hamburg fans took him to their hearts. and Vuskovic played with a sense of adventure while wearing the No 44 jersey of his brother Mario. a former Hamburg player serving a three-year doping ban and set to return in November.

The bonds between player and city weren’t just a feel-good story. Hamburg described mutual trust and a shared reason to protect their future. Vuskovic found a “home from home” in Hamburg. made his affection for the club and the city clear. and showed a desire to ensure they would be safe in the Bundesliga when Mario returned to action. Supporters voted Vuskovic as their player of the year.

Merlin Polzin, Hamburg’s boss, spoke of the mindset as much as the talent. “What truly sets Luka apart is his incredible will to win,” Polzin said. “He always wants to improve. His attitude towards being a professional footballer is top-notch. I’ve only had the privilege of working with a handful of players who have such a mindset.”.

Polzin also pointed to leadership that already reads like adult responsibility. “When you have such a leadership role at 19 and your career takes off like this, I believe he’s capable of anything,” he said in an interview with Hamburg’s website in May.

Vuskovic’s path with Croatia has moved fast as well. He made his Croatia debut last year, and in March he scored his first international goal. Now he’s stepping onto the World Cup stage surrounded by legends of Croatian football. including Luka Modric—who is the second-oldest outfield player at this summer’s tournament. behind only Cristiano Ronaldo. and has 198 caps. Croatia’s squad. led by Modric. includes centurions such as Ivan Perisic (154). Andrej Kramaric (116). Mateo Kovacic (113). Mario Pasalic (85) and Dominik Livakovic (75). giving them 741 caps collectively across those six players.

That experience is the backdrop. The pressure is different. For Spurs. keeping Vuskovic isn’t just about money or contract length—though his deal runs until 2030 and Spurs are expected to offer him a new contract with improved terms reflecting his progress. It’s about whether he believes his career is genuinely being built at Tottenham. or whether his talent will keep being pushed elsewhere by circumstance.

By the time Spurs gather around De Zerbi’s assessment, Vuskovic may already have shown the kind of defender who doesn’t wait for the right moment. He will look to keep Harry Kane quiet in Dallas—and he will be doing it with overhead ambition still fresh in the minds of anyone watching the market.

Luka Vuskovic Tottenham Brighton Bayern Munich Barcelona Jan Paul van Hecke World Cup Harry Kane Roberto De Zerbi Hamburg William Saliba Luka Modric Premier League transfers