Tottenham Hotspur are stuck in a predicament.
Luka Vuskovic is one of the most exciting talents in world football. The centre-back scored six goals in 28 Bundesliga appearances on loan at Hamburg last season, including towering headers and clever backheel flicks. The 19-year-old’s stock will keep rising as he is set to star for Croatia at this summer’s World Cup, starting with their first group-stage game against England on Wednesday evening. Vuskovic will have no fear man-marking England’s captain Harry Kane because they have faced each other multiple times over the past year.
Vuskovic is yet to make his first official appearance for Spurs, three years after he agreed to join them from Hajduk Split. Transfer regulations meant he had to wait until after he turned 18 in February 2025 before he could complete the move. He scored in a pre-season friendly against Reading under then head coach Thomas Frank last summer, and travelled on tour to Hong Kong and South Korea but joined Hamburg in August.
Now his future with Spurs could be in doubt after The Athletic reported last week that Brighton & Hove Albion submitted a £30million bid for him. Vuskovic believes Brighton have shown themselves to be a good developing ground for young talent. In an ideal world, Spurs would dismiss this offer and do everything in their power to keep Vuskovic. However, the situation is not that simple.
Vuskovic shone during a loan spell at Hamburg (Stuart Franklin/Getty Images)
Spurs’ squad is in dire need of investment after successive 17th-place finishes in the Premier League. They have already confirmed the signings of free agents Marcos Senesi and Andy Robertson, and have submitted two offers for Brighton centre-back Jan Paul van Hecke. Spurs are also in positive talks with the camp of Newcastle United midfielder Sandro Tonali and want to sign Manchester City winger Savinho.
Xavi Simons and Wilson Odobert are expected to miss the start of next season after they both suffered anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries earlier this year. Mohammed Kudus sustained a hamstring injury in January, which ruled him out for the rest of the campaign and the World Cup with Ghana. Dominic Solanke has struggled with ankle, knee and muscle injuries over the last 18 months. Richarlison was Tottenham’s top scorer in the league last season with 11 goals but only has a year left on his contract and there are question marks over whether he suits Roberto De Zerbi’s style of play. To put it bluntly, Spurs are low on numbers and quality in attack.
There is a misconception that Spurs do not spend heavily on transfer fees. Over the last seven seasons, they have spent £880.3m net on players, which is more than Liverpool (£649.7m) and Manchester City (£625.2m). Chelsea, Manchester United and Arsenal are the only English clubs who have spent more money in that period.
Spurs’ record transfer fee, £65m for Solanke, is significantly lower than their rivals and they traditionally held back on huge wages, but the brutal reality is that they have spent money badly and have to rectify their mistakes.
Earlier this week, they released Yves Bissouma four years after signing him from Brighton for £25m. The 29-year-old midfielder helped Spurs to win the Europa League in 2025 but did not come close to fulfilling his potential. Brennan Johnson was sold to Crystal Palace two and a half years after a £47.5m move from Nottingham Forest. Odobert has had a limited impact since he arrived from Burnley for £25m, while Mathys Tel has shown flashes of his promise since his loan from Bayern Munich was converted into a permanent €35m deal.
Those figures are relatively modest in isolation but grouped together underline Spurs’ inefficiency in the transfer market. All of this directly impacts Vuskovic because Spurs hold some of the highest transfer debt in football.
De Zerbi made it clear after the final day victory over Everton that this was going to be a summer of upheaval. “We have now to change too many players,” the Italian said. “We have 10, 11, 12 players good enough to stay… And then we have to complete the squad with the first level of players.”
Selling players and reinvesting the money will help Spurs give De Zerbi the squad he craves. There is a strong chance captain Cristian Romero will leave but the market for him will probably be smaller than Vuskovic due to his age and wage demands. Shipping out Romero could earn Spurs a lot of money, they just might have to wait until after his World Cup commitments with Argentina and that could impact their own plans.
Romero’s future at Tottenham is uncertain (Ulrik Pedersen/Getty Images)
Radu Dragusin missed the first half of last season with an ACL injury and when he returned only played 10 league games for a grand total of 515 minutes. It is unlikely the Romanian will command a higher fee than Vuskovic.
Spurs will be without European football next season and if Vuskovic is not going to be the first-choice right-sided centre-back, there is certainly an argument it would be more beneficial to temporarily send him away. Vuskovic has spent the last three seasons on loan, though, and might feel the time is right to settle.
The parallels with Arsenal’s William Saliba are obvious. Saliba went on loan to Saint-Etienne, Nice and Marseille before breaking into Arsenal’s starting XI under Mikel Arteta. The difference here is that Spurs’ financial situation might force them to let Vuskovic go.
The other awkward part of this dilemma is that Spurs have supported Vuskovic’s development, even if he has not played for them. They were consulted about his loan to Polish top-flight side Radomiak Radom in 2024 and encouraged him to join Westerlo the following season. Westerlo was seen as an ideal move because they play in the Belgian top flight but do not attract a lot of attention. Vuskovic could make mistakes and grow without intense pressure.
There was a huge emotional draw for Vuskovic to join Hamburg. His older brother Mario is contracted to them but is serving a doping ban until November, and it was also seen as a natural next step in a more competitive environment. Tottenham’s head of pathways and loans Andy Scoulding has remained in regular contact with Vuskovic throughout to keep a close eye on his progress. It would be a shame if he never plays for them — even if that blow would be softened by a healthy profit on the £12m they paid Hajduk Split.
It is understandable if Vuskovic has reservations about staying with Spurs. They have had four different head coaches since he initially agreed to join them. Brighton finished eighth and will be competing in the Europa Conference League next season while Spurs narrowly avoided relegation. Tel, Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall’s stop-start development could be another concern.
If Vuskovic decides it is better for his career to leave Spurs, then they only have themselves to blame.
