There has been a great swell of anticipation about Luka Vuskovic’s arrival at Tottenham despite his tender years.
The Croatian teenager was signed for £12million in 2023 when only just 16, and having played an integral role for Hajduk Split’s Under-19s on their run to the final of the UEFA Youth League.
Spurs chairman Daniel Levy moved quickly and stealthily to secure Vuskovic, beating competition from illustrious rivals including Manchester City, Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain.
After six months on loan in Poland with Radomiak Radom and last season on loan in Belgium with Westerlo, where he scored seven goals from centre back – the pick of them an overhead-kick which was named goal of the season in the Belgian top flight – he has finally arrived in north London and is shaping up as quite a transfer coup.
At 18, his performances in training have been strong and in his first outing in Spurs colours he made a fine impression, with a goal and an assist within eight minutes of his introduction as a half-time substitute in a pre-season friendly against Reading a fortnight ago.
Those who have seen him breeze through the youth ranks for club and country – he won his first senior cap in June against the Czech Republic – were not surprised. All the usual caveats about young players and the perils of development apply, but Tottenham’s new boss Thomas Frank has a big decision brewing.
Luka Vuskovic is finally in position at Tottenham, two years after they signed him from Hajduk Split
The Croatian has already made a big impact, scoring and assisting in a friendly at Reading two weeks ago
If Frank does not envisage Vuskovic featuring regularly in the first team – and there are a cluster of centre backs ahead of him in the pecking order, such as Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven, Kevin Danso and Radu Dragusin – there are Bundesliga clubs lining up to take him on loan.
It would be a shame if his incredible progress were to stall because he spends a season on the sidelines.
Vuskovic has always been mature beyond his years. Tall at 6ft 4in and strong, he is the epitome of a modern central defender, comfortable with either foot, mobile, strong in the air, with a determination to go forward and, his rarest gift, an eye for goal.
‘Luka had a great impact here,’ Westerlo’s sporting director Francesco Carratta tells Mail Sport. ‘At 17, he came in like a player I’ve rarely seen – the professionalism he showed, constantly working, respecting the team, high…