Tottenham Hotspur have been told that Luka Vuskovic looks better than Jeremy Jacquet – but they may lose him to Bayern Munich.
That’s the opinion of European football presenter Andy Brassell, who raved about Spurs star Vuksovic, who shone on loan in Hamburg.
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The 18-year-old moved to Tottenham last summer – two years after signing him from Hajduk Split.
Spurs spent £12million to secure his services in 2023 but had to wait until he turned 18 before the defender could move to England.
Two impressive loan spells followed with Polish club Radomiak Radom and Belgian club Westerlo, which led to the Croatian international being named one of the best defensive players in Europe with two caps to his name.
And it didn’t take long for Vuskovic to show Spurs fans what all the fuss was about after scoring goals and assists on his debut in a 2-0 pre-season win over Reading in July.
Despite showing what he was capable of, Thomas Frank decided to loan him out for a third time to continue his development – this time to the Bundesliga.
With four goals in 17 top-flight games – including a stunning acrobatic display and a recent equalizer against Bayern – Vuskovic’s achievements have not gone unnoticed.
German giants Bayern and Borussia Dortmund have been linked with intent to sign him this summer as it remains to be seen what role Vuskovic will play in the Spurs team.
How is your Luk?
For Brassell, he believes Vuskovic is the superior young European centre-back compared to Liverpool’s new signing Jeremy Jacquet, who cost £60m from Rennes.
He told The Pitch Prospect.com: “Vuskovic is better looking than Jacquet, I can honestly say that. Everything about him is so incredibly convincing.”
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Brassell continued: “Tottenham has an option, I obviously expect there will be people who say, ‘Well, they already have that.’ [Pedro] Porro and [Destiny] Udogie to bring Vuskovic back and Vuskovic, Romero, [Micky] Van der Ven.’
“A lot of it depends on where Tottenham are at the end of the season, whether Thomas Frank is still there and whether they have managed to qualify for Europe again.”
“There are so many question marks about where Tottenham are at the moment sportingly, but they have options with Vuskovic.”
“Obviously every Spurs fan who watches him from afar thinks, ‘We want this guy on our team’, not just because he’s already very successful but I think because of those leadership qualities.”
“And it’s something that Tottenham sometimes lack.”
“I guess the options are: A, incorporate him into a threesome, B, sell Romero while you can still get elite value for him.”
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Bayern Munich have been linked with Vuskovic
“The other question is: Are you selling Vuskovic?” Brassell continued. “Are you using him for the money?
“Of course he could become a really important player for Tottenham. But at the moment he is 18 and has never played in the Premier League.”
“His value, especially in the Bundesliga, is high, which is why Bayern are linked with him.”
“Borussia Dortmund have been linked with him; they could do a small defensive revamp in the summer.”
“The fact that Niklas Sule is leaving could be Nico Schlotterbeck [be off]We will find out in the next few weeks whether he will sign a new contract or move on.
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“So Vuskovic has a huge interest; her [Spurs] could make a huge profit on a player who has never played for them before, perhaps that is the path of least resistance.
“I think it would make far more sense to either bring him back and integrate him into the three-man group, or have him replace one of the two existing central defenders as a starter.”
“Probably Romero, because you can get a lot of money for him and the issues we discussed.”
Meanwhile, former Spurs centre-back Ramon Vega, who started in the 1999 League Cup final win over Leicester, believes Vuskovic has been neglected by the club, which will ultimately lead to a summer exit.
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To X he said: “This player is not coming back to Spurs! Another of many players Spurs had a chance with but they made the wrong decision.”
“This is an example of the problem Spurs have in the football department! A complete neglect.”
“They will certainly earn good money, but there is no footballing direction within the club. No wonder he is moving to Bayern, I won’t blame him for that.”
His comments come amid Bayern legend – and 1990 World Cup and Euro 1990 champion – Lothar Matthäus praising Vuskovic.
After Bayern’s 2-2 draw against Hamburg, he said: “At 18 years old, he’s playing like he’s already played in three World Cups!”
“Even when I was 30, I didn’t see what he saw at 18. This player is SO intelligent.”
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Vuskovic said he should join Bayern
And Vuskovic was urged to move to the Allianz Arena by former Barcelona midfielder Ivan Rakitic, who is in the top ten for goals and appearances for the Croatian national team.
The 2015 Champions League winner told Sky Deutschland: “The whole of European football is talking about him at the moment.”
“Bayern Munich has to improve. I think this boy has to go to Bayern Munich.”
“It is incredibly exciting to see such a young man making a splash in the football world.
“I’m excited to see whether Tottenham manage to keep him beyond the summer, because in my opinion he is already ready for the next step to one of the absolute top clubs.”
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“And for me there are only four or five of them in Europe.”
Vuskovic still has four and a half years left at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Fans can next see him in action when Hamburg take on Heidenheim away from home on Saturday afternoon.