Roberto De Zerbi no doubt watching closely amid Luka Vuskovic developments at World Cup

Tottenham Hotspur defender Luka Vuskovic has been a hot topic so far this summer, but right now his sole focus is on Croatia.

The defender joined permanently from Hajduk Split last summer, before joining Bundesliga side Hamburger SV on loan.

In North Germany, he burst onto the scene in stunning fashion - earning a fan favourite status at the Volksparkstadion.

Following in the footsteps of brother Mario, the 19-year-old had a talismanic impact for the Red Shorts, who survived their first top-flight campaign in seven years.

Despite his status as one of, if not the most highly rated young defenders in football, his Tottenham future remains unclear.

But based on the latest situation during Croatia's World Cup campaign, alarm bells may be raised in North London.

Zlatko Dalic makes strange Luka Vuskovic decision despite strong showing

In Croatia's opening match against England, the Spurs defender was arguably the strongest out of the three who played at the back - forming a back three alongside Josip Sutalo of Ajax, and Josko Gvardiol of Manchester City.

Naturally, Zlatko Dalic's side were expected to dominate against Panama - who they beat 1-0 - meaning the switch to a back four did make sense.

However, Dalic made the decision to drop both Vuskovic, opting for Fiorentina centre-back Marin Pongracic.

With this in mind, the towering 19-year-old did not play a single minute in the early hours of Wednesday morning.

It was against Panama, but Croatia did keep a clean sheet, and this may convince Dalic that this system is the way forward - potentially keeping Vuskovic on the bench for the rest of the tournament.

What impact will Croatia decision have on Tottenham?

With Jan Paul van Hecke and Marcos Senesi joining, while Micky van de Ven is set to stay, Vuskovic is not within Roberto De Zerbi's plans ahead of the new term.

As a result, Spurs have been entertaining talks of a potential sale - something that they could regret should he reach the expected levels.

Brighton had a bid of £45million pushed back this week, with Tottenham wanting to hold out for £60m.

However, if he is to sit on the bench for the remainder of the World Cup, it could leave the Lilywhites without room to negotiate, letting other clubs take control of the situation - or potentially being put off.