Luka Vuskovic, whom Tottenham Hotspur signed from Hajduk Split for £12m in September 2023, will be keen to make a good impression at the World Cup this summer.
Tim Sherwood has urged Tottenham Hotspur to allow Luka Vuskovic to join Brighton on loan. The 19-year-old defender, whom the Lilywhites signed from Hajduk Split for £12m in September 2023, has been heavily linked with a move to the Amex Stadium this summer as Fabian Hürzeler looks to bolster his backline.
football.london understands that Spurs recently rejected a £35m bid from the Seagulls for Vuskovic, who’s also attracted interest from Barcelona. The Croatia international made quite the impression while on loan at Hamburg last season, establishing himself as one of the most promising young centre-backs in Europe.
He featured 28 times in the Bundesliga this season, scoring six goals and keeping five clean sheets. Playing a key role in Merlin Polzin’s side, Vuskovic helped the newly promoted side stay in the German top-flight.
The teenager was recognised for his efforts, earning a place in the team of the season. Despite his impressive performances, Roberto De Zerbi has pushed for the arrival of Premier League-proven talent, hence the signing of Marco Senesi and the interest in Jan Paul van Hecke.
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Unsurprisingly, with the two defenders effectively blocking the path to the starting lineup, Vuskovic has attracted plenty of interest. Speaking recently on Sky Sports, Sherwood suggested that Tottenham should allow the Croatian to join Brighton on loan.
“He’s a prospect, you know, they signed him for a reason,” said the former Spurs boss, who helped integrate Harry Kane into the first team back in 2014. “He’s sent him out on loan to Hamburg.
“He’s done very well, played in a number of games, albeit it’s not in the Premier League, but there’s an opportunity, possibly if Brighton want him to loan him to Brighton, you may get a loan fee if they are interested in making money.
“But it should not be about making money. I mean, what is £30m these days? You get pub players for that. So I will be saying, do not take the money, let the kid have an opportunity.
“But one thing I would say, trust Roberto De Zerbi. You know, Van Hecke he wants, go and get him for him. He’s brought Marcos Senesi in already. So you’ve got centre-halves there.
“One thing Vuskovic himself will not want is to come into Tottenham Hotspur and not play on a regular basis. So if he’s not going to play, loan him out to Brighton. Get a possible loan fee, then you can see him play against Tottenham’s opposition week in, week out and make a proper judgement.”
If Tottenham were to sanction a loan, Hamburg have already volunteered to extend Vuskovic’s stay. At the start of last month, the club’s board member in charge of finance and organisation, Eric Huwer, told German outlet Welt: “If it were up to Luka, I think he would still like to experience the Hamburg atmosphere, the passion, and his development.
“But we’re at best in the passenger seat. If the door opens even a crack, we’ll be there. We always dream. But market realities are, of course, quite different. I think we can be very happy that we were able to accompany Luka with us for this one year.”
