Tottenham: Luka Vuskovic sends clear message to Ange Postecoglou after what he did on Monday
Tottenham supporters and Ange Postecoglou should be very excited about the impending arrival of Luka Vuskovic.
Very few Spurs supporters would have heard much about Vuskovic when the club completed the signing of the teenager for £12million from Croatian outfit Hajduk Split (Evening Standard, 25 September).
It is a substantial amount of money for a player who has only just turned 17, but the list of clubs who were chasing the centre-back’s signature demonstrates his potential.
Some of Europe’s biggest clubs such as Manchester City, Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain were all interested in the defender, but it was Tottenham who won the race.
However, since the United Kingdom’s exit from the European Union, British clubs are prohibited from signing overseas players under the age of 18 according to FIFA rules.
As a result, Vuskovic will have to wait until 2025 to join Spurs, after he has celebrated his 18th birthday, with a contract already in place at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium which runs until 2030.
Ahead of his arrival at Hotspur Way, as exclusively revealed by Tottenham News back in September, Vuskovic has left Hajduk Split on loan, with Polish side Radomiak Radom the chosen destination (via The Athletic, 31 January).
Despite a difficult start to life in the Ekstraklasa, Vuskovic has quickly found his feet, with his most recent display sending a clear message to Postecoglou.
How quickly could Ange Postecoglou introduce Luka Vuskovic to his Tottenham first-team?
Vuskovic has already made four appearances for Radomiak Radom since joining the club on loan.
He was handed his debut from the bench in difficult circumstances as he came on in the 66th minute of the club’s 6-0 defeat to Cracovic (10 February).
Despite the situation, he still made himself useful during his time on the pitch, winning 100 per cent of his aerial duels and making two clearances (Sofascore).
Vuskovic was then handed his full debut in a 4-0 defeat at the hands of Pogon (16 February), struggling slightly as he won just 50 per cent of his aerial duels on this occasion and was only able to complete 69 per cent of his passes.
However, Vuskovic has turned things around with his last two performances and demonstrated that he just needed a couple of matches to settle into his new surroundings.
After conceding 10 goals across two matches, Radomiak Radom kept a much-needed clean sheet, drawing 0-0 with Warta Poznan (26 February) as Vuskovic helped his side to a shutout by winning seven of his 10 ground duels, making four clearances, one interception and blocking one shot.
And in the 2-1 home victory over Stal Mielec (4 March), his performance went up to a whole new level as he got himself on the scoresheet, heading in from a corner in the first half.
Having given Radomiak Radom the lead, he did everything he could to ensure they left with the three points, making five clearances, winning seven of his nine ground duels and completing 94 per cent of his passes.
He also hit the woodwork and played three accurate long balls forward as he showed to Postecoglou, who would have been keeping a close eye on his progress back at Hotspur Way, that he can do it all.
While he will still only be 18 when he arrives at Hotspur Way ahead of the 2025/26 season getting underway, it is important to consider that the defender will already have a vast amount of senior experience under his belt.
As a result, Vuskovic might just be ready for Postecoglou to build his Tottenham defence around the centre-back next year, especially if he continues on this trajectory.
In other Tottenham news, an ex-Spurs employee has backed the club to sign an international striker with 20-plus goals in league competition this season.
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