Brighton & Hove Albion have made a £30million offer to sign defender Luka Vuskovic from Tottenham Hotspur.
There is also strong interest from leading clubs elsewhere in Europe — but Vuskovic’s idea is to join a side like Brighton as the next step in his career and then potentially progress from there.
The 19-year-old knows of Brighton head coach Fabian Hurzeler from Germany — having spent the season on loan at Hamburg, where his brother Mario also plays — and vice versa, so there is a mutual trust and Vuskovic believes Brighton have shown themselves to be a good developing ground for young talent.
The Croatia international is regarded as one of the best emerging defenders in world football.
Brighton’s bid for Vuskovic comes amid Tottenham’s pursuit of defender Jan Paul van Hecke.
Tottenham agreed to sign Vuskovic from Hajduk Split in a deal worth around £12million ($16m) in September 2023 but he did not officially join them until last year after he had turned 18. His Spurs contract runs until 2030.
Vuskovic spent the 2025-26 season on loan Hamburg, where he scored six goals in 28 Bundesliga appearances. He is yet to make an official first-team appearance for Spurs, but featured for the club during last summer’s pre-season.
He has been capped five times at senior international level by Croatia and is part of their 26-man squad at this summer’s World Cup. The Athletic reported in June that despite catching attention from clubs around Europe, Vuskovic would be waiting until after the World Cup to decide his next steps.
Would a move make sense for Spurs?
Analysis by Tottenham Hotspur correspondent Jay Harris
Tottenham supporters will have a negative reaction to this news. Vuskovic received a lot of praise for his impressive performances on loan with Hamburg in the Bundesliga last season. The 19-year-old has never made a competitive appearance for Spurs and the hope was that would change next season. It is concerning if the defender feels the best move for his career is to join Brighton permanently.
Vuskovic’s situation is slightly complicated by the abundance of centre-backs at Roberto De Zerbi’s disposal. Spurs deserve praise for acting swiftly this summer to address the defensive issues which have plagued them over the last two seasons. They have secured the signings of Andy Robertson and Marcos Senesi and have submitted two offers for Van Hecke.
The Athletic reported last week that captain Cristian Romero is expected to leave and there is uncertainty over the future of Radu Dragusin. If Romero and Dragusin are sold, Spurs would still have three right-sided centre-backs if they complete a deal for Van Hecke. It is not an ideal scenario to have Vuskovic challenging Van Hecke and Kevin Danso for game time, especially as Spurs will not be in a European competition next season. Danso has established himself as a reliable back-up option but Vuskovic needs to play regularly to keep developing.
There are similarities with Vuskovic’s situation to how Arsenal handled William Saliba. The defender went on loan to three different French clubs before establishing himself under Mikel Arteta at Arsenal. The fear for Spurs fans is that Vuskovic’s stock keeps rising and they need to integrate him into the squad immediately or risk losing him forever.
Some supporters will be questioning the wisdom of pursuing Van Hecke with Vuskovic waiting in the wings for an opportunity.