Tottenham Hotspur agree £12m deal to sign highly-rated teenage defender

Tottenham Hotspur confirm agreement with Croatian side Hajduk Split to sign talented defender Luka Vuskovic

According to the club’s official website (h/t Fabrizio Romano), Tottenham have confirmed the signing of Hajduk Split centre-back Luka Vuskovic this summer. The value of the deal is approximately £12 million.

The announcement of this signing comes shortly after Tottenham’s 2-2 draw against Arsenal in the North London derby, less than 24 hours prior. However, the 16-year-old centre-back will not be joining the North London team until 2025, as per FIFA regulations.

This is because, following the United Kingdom’s exit from the EU in 2020, foreign players are prohibited from joining the team until they reach the age of 18.

The European prodigy has accumulated 11 first-team appearances for Split but has been sidelined this season due to injury.

In February, Vuskovic made history by becoming the youngest player ever to play in the Croatian top flight. He continued to make waves by becoming Split’s youngest-ever goal scorer when he scored against NK Osijek.

During his time with the senior team, the youngster played a role in helping his team secure the Croatian Cup. Additionally, he was a key starter for the Under-19 team, which reached the UEFA Youth League final but was defeated by AZ Alkmaar.

Vuskovic marks Tottenham’s third signing in the centre-back position since Ange Postecoglou became the head coach, following the summer additions of Micky van de Ven and Ashley Phillips.

He was happy to witness a club like Spurs recognise his talent. As quoted by Football London, he said:

“It is a great honour to see that a club like Tottenham has shown such a desire and put in so much effort to bring in a player of my age. This makes me proud.”

The Lilywhites were successful in outmanoeuvring Premier League competitors Chelsea, Liverpool, and Manchester City to secure the signing of the highly-rated player.

Standing at an impressive height of 6 feet 4 inches, Vuskovic holds potential as a future star defender.

He will continue the tradition of Croatian talent at Tottenham, following in the footsteps of notable names like Luka Modric, Vedran Corluka, Niko Kranjcar, Stipe Pletikosa, and Ivan Perisic.

The youngster arrives at Tottenham with a high reputation, and it remains to be seen if he will have the opportunity to develop under the coaching of Postecoglou, assuming the manager remains with the team.

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The fans will be eagerly waiting to see the defensive star don the historic white shirt.