football.london asked Croatia head coach Zlatko Dalic about Luka Vuskovic and his future at Tottenham as the young defender prepares to make his World Cup bow with England
Croatia head coach Zlatko Dalic has told Luka Vuskovic he "needs to find a club" where he's a regular starter as he edges closer to the Tottenham exit door.
The imminent £52million signing of Jan Paul van Hecke from Brighton, subject to passing a medical, is likely to push Vuskovic even further down the Spurs defensive pecking order.
The 19-year-old centre-back could make his World Cup debut against England on Wednesday in Dallas but rumours over his club future continue to swirl in the background.
Brighton have now seen two bids rejected for Vuskovic, the latest was worth up to £35million.
It's worth noting that the deal for Van Hecke is an entirely separate operation to the talks for Vuskovic.
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football.london asked Dalic whether he trusts the Spurs teenager to start against England and whether he has any concern about the player's mindset because of Brighton's strong interest.
He replied: "Vuskovic is a great talent and a great player, he played a great season in his club, he has great potential.
"He will be succeeding [Josko] Gvardiol, he's very smart, he plays a difficult position and he's still a young player, we will see how we use him.
"I expect him to prove himself at this World Cup and to be a great player for us in the next 15 years.
"He will decide his career himself with the people that manage him but it's important for him to find a club where he will play in the starting XI. Again, we have a great player for the next 15 years."
It's no secret that Vuskovic sparkled while on loan at Hamburg last season as he netted six goals and also earned a spot in the Bundesliga Team of the Year.
A return to Hamburg has virtually been ruled out though and Vuskovic is not believed to be keen on another loan, anyway.
If Tottenham aren't able to provide him with assurances over playing time, he could well sign elsewhere.
Once Van Hecke is through the door, Spurs will have a raft of centre-backs at their disposal including Cuti Romero, Micky van de Ven, new boy Marcos Senesi, Kevin Danso and Radu Dragusin.
There are also young talents like Kota Takai, Jun'ai Byfield and Ashley Phillips. It's fair to say Tottenham could well sell a few of those listed names with Romero being a clear candidate to depart.