The teenager was impressive in a recently concluded Bundesliga match.
Luka Vuskovic has always been highly regarded by the Lilywhites supporters, long before he put on a Lilywhites shirt. And it didn’t take him long to impress, given his highlight performances in the pre-season.
This pushed many supporters to call for his stay at Hotspur Way. Most of them saw that the Croat had most of what it takes to play in a deputy role to Van de Ven and Romero in the Premier League.
But he was sent out on loan to Hamburg to get more playing time under his belt.
And if there were any doubts about his ceiling, his performance against Bayern Munich the other day was enough to put those doubts to rest.
Hamburg played Vincent Kompany’s high-flying Bayern Munich to a 2-2 draw the other day.
Vuskovic had an elite performance vs. Bayern
Facing Bayern even at the Volksparkstadion (Hamburg’s home ground) is still quite a difficult test. But Vuskovic looked completely unfazed in the game, and he came up with the goods to earn his side an important point. The teenager scored the equalising header just seven minutes after Bayern went 2-1 up, which was a classic forward-esque movement from a centre-back.
But while that goal will grab the headlines, his overall performance was equally impressive. We have to remember that he was playing against the likes of Kane, Musiala, Diaz and Olise, and he still managed to show his defensive abilities, given that he had 4 clearances (of which a couple of them were headed ones) alongside his 4/5 ground duels won.
He was equally good on the ball; Vuskovic showed composure in possession (he had 25/31 passes completed) while also boasting confidence when stepping out with his long balls (3/4 accurate long balls). (h/t The Spurs Express via. X)
For an 18-year-old centre-back, having that kind of balance playing against very elite players is rare. And he wasn’t hiding, and he was not also only reacting. He was participating in the game.
Author Opinion
If we look at it from Tottenham’s point of view, this is the kind of trajectory that no one would have hoped for from him when signing Vuskovic. But his development at Hamburg is shaping him into an absolute elite defender.
If we think about the North Londoners’ centre-back options, they are built around having that aggression with Romero and that recovery pace of Van de Ven. But in Vuskovic, it looks like the Lilywhites have a hybrid of both. He is not only comfortable in defending spaces but also willing to step into midfield zones. Then, very much like the current duo at N17, the Croat is also dangerous on set pieces at both ends.
Nights like this accelerate timelines, and Tottenham may just start planning with him in North London next season.