Tottenham’s Luka Vuskovic Dilemma: Future Star or Cash In?
Tottenham are trying to race in two directions at once. On one side, a 19-year-old centre-back who many inside the club believe could become one of the best defenders in the world. On the other, a manager in Roberto De Zerbi who wants ready-made, ball-playing centre-halves to reshape his team immediately.
Caught in the middle is Luka Vuskovic.
A prodigy who doesn’t want another waiting year
Vuskovic has just come off a standout loan at Hamburg, where he built a reputation as one of Europe’s most exciting young defenders. At 19, he wants what every prodigy eventually demands: a starting place, not another stepping stone.
He is not interested in another loan. That is non-negotiable from his side.
Tottenham, though, see a different timeline. They believe in his ceiling, strongly. But they do not yet see a Premier League regular. In their view, the path is more William Saliba than instant stardom: a few more seasons of regular football elsewhere before a full integration.
Arsenal’s handling of Saliba is the template. Three loans in Ligue 1, then a return as one of the Premier League’s outstanding centre-backs. Spurs would happily repeat that blueprint with Vuskovic. The problem is, he does not want to be the next Saliba-on-loan. He wants to be the next Saliba-in-the-team.
Brighton knock – and Spurs say no
Brighton spotted the opportunity. Twice.
They pushed for Vuskovic, with their latest offer reaching £35m. For a teenager who has not played Premier League football, that is serious money. Yet Tottenham turned it down. For now, the message is clear: they rate him too highly to sell at that price.
Brighton will not go back in immediately. They have moved on with other business, not least agreeing to sell Jan Paul van Hecke to Spurs for £52m.
The irony is obvious. The club that can give Vuskovic what he wants – a starting role in the Premier League – will not stretch further financially. The club that will only offer him a loan will not cash in. So the stand-off continues.
Croatia boss Zlatko Dalic has already made his stance known: Vuskovic must play regularly at this stage of his development. Tottenham agree in principle. They just want that football to happen somewhere else for now. He does not.
This is not a simple tug-of-war. It is a career crossroads.
A crowded corridor at the heart of defence
Look at the depth chart and Vuskovic’s frustration makes sense.
Tottenham have already brought in Marcos Senesi on a free. Van Hecke is on his way for £52m. If Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero both stay, Vuskovic is staring at a season as, at best, fifth-choice centre-back.
Fifth-choice at 19, after a breakthrough year in Germany, is not a role any ambitious defender will accept quietly.
Romero’s future adds another twist. His situation feels familiar: uncertainty around a player who, on his best days, looks like one of the world’s elite defenders, but who is available only about half the time due to injuries and suspensions. There was even speculation over whether he would attend the final game of last season.
Inside Spurs, there is a sense that a big offer for Romero would be listened to. The key is whether anyone is willing to pay the kind of fee that would justify letting him go. If such an offer lands, the whole picture at centre-back changes again.
Right now, though, De Zerbi is being armed with defenders tailored to his football.
De Zerbi’s blueprint: defenders who break lines
The Van Hecke deal is a statement. Around £52m for a centre-back with one year left on his Brighton contract is not a speculative punt. It is a manager being given exactly what he asked for.
Van Hecke only wanted to join Tottenham, and he wanted to work again under De Zerbi, who he has described as a “father figure”. The Dutchman played 50 games under the Italian at Brighton between 2023 and 2024, learning a demanding, high-risk, high-reward style from the back.
Brighton, who signed him from NAC Breda for £1.8m in 2020, will bank a huge profit and have secured a 20 per cent sell-on clause. Smart business from them, but also a clear show of faith from Spurs.
This is total backing for De Zerbi after keeping the club up. He now has the final say on transfers, and the profile he wants is obvious.
With Senesi and Van Hecke, Tottenham are targeting two of the Premier League’s best defenders at progressing the ball in the first phase. Last season, they were the top two in the league for bypassing opponents with their passing. They do not just recycle possession. They break lines, punch through pressure, and drag teams up the pitch.
Under Andoni Iraola at Bournemouth, Senesi thrived in a vertical, aggressive system, drilling passes through the thirds. Van Hecke, meanwhile, is already fluent in De Zerbi’s demands: take the ball under pressure, invite the press, then slice through it.
Fabian Hürzeler, speaking in 2024, underlined how much De Zerbi’s influence has shaped this type of defender, talking about how that style of playing out from the back had already been embedded.
The numbers tell the story. In terms of passing range and progression, Senesi and Van Hecke sit a level above Romero and Van de Ven. Tottenham have identified that gap and moved decisively to close it.
Big plans, big spends – and a squeeze coming
This is only part of a broader push. Spurs are planning a huge few weeks in the market. They are determined to give De Zerbi a squad that fits his ideas, not just his reputation.
There is strong interest in Newcastle midfielder Sandro Tonali. They remain keen on Manchester City forward Savinho. These are not small pieces. They are major, structural signings.
Big spending demands big sales. Tottenham know that. They would prefer to raise money from players who are not part of De Zerbi’s long-term vision. In an ideal world, Vuskovic is not on that list. He is a long-term pillar, not a cash cow.
But football rarely deals in ideal worlds. A 19-year-old who wants to start now, a coach who wants specialists for his system today, a club that wants to spend heavily and still protect its future assets – it all collides in one position.
Brighton can offer Vuskovic the one thing Spurs cannot: a realistic route to regular Premier League minutes this season. They just will not pay what Tottenham currently want. Spurs can offer him the platform, the coaching, and the long-term belief – but only on loan.
So the question lingers over north London: do Tottenham hold their nerve on a defender they believe could be world-class, even if it means a year of frustration, or do they cash in and watch him develop somewhere else?
For a club trying to build a new identity under De Zerbi, the answer to that may define far more than just one teenager’s future.
