Roberto De Zerbi’s Tottenham Hotspur appointment may have saved the club from a big Luka Vuskovic blunder.
The Croatian joined the club last summer, before immediately being sent out on loan to Hamburg, who were promoted to the Bundesliga after a seven-year exodus.
In Germany, the towering centre-back has shone, while also becoming a firm fan favourite at the Volksparkstadion.
As a result, reports have continued to circulate surrounding his future at Tottenham – thrown into the air by the dismal season at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
However, with De Zerbi’s appointment now confirmed, a strong end to the season could see Vuskovic in action for the Lilywhites next term.
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Luka Vuskovic is a Hamburg fan favourite
Immediately following his Spurs arrival, the young defender was sent to Hamburg, following in the footsteps of his brother Mario Vuskovic, who is currently serving a ban for doping.
His name immediately turned the defender into a cult hero at the Volksparkstadion, with his performance at the heart of defence furthering this connection, as Polzin’s side charge towards safety following their ascent from the 2. Bundesliga last May.
Naturally, his performances have attracted attention not just from higher-ups at Hamburg looking to secure him for another year, but from the likes of Liverpool, Chelsea and Barcelona too.
Loaning out the defender made sense at the start of the season, with Vuskovic in need of minutes on the pitch.
However, nobody in their wildest dreams could have predicted the current predicament for Spurs, leaving his future somewhat in the air, with their being absolutely no chance of the young Croat playing in the Championship.
With one last roll of the dice to save their season, Spurs announced the appointment of De Zerbi this week – the move that could decide the future of both Tottenham and Vuskovic.
Roberto De Zerbi arrival is a risk that could pay off for Tottenham and Vuskovic
The Italian returns to the Premier League after two years away, having previously guided Brighton to the Europa League, playing some of the best football seen across the division.
While the immediate goal is to secure survival, the chance is there to begin a new project under a manager full of innovative ideas, with exciting football almost guaranteed.
Operating in a counter-attacking side at the moment, he has become a talismanic figure when the Red Shorts do have the ball, with 1,830 touches, 45 in the opposition box, nine chances created, and 1,135 successful passes.
At 19, Vuskovic has his entire career ahead of him, and with departures for Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero all but certain, he would return to Spurs as an immediate starter in the Premier League.
Should they secure survival, the summer will spark a huge reset for a club in desperate need of it.
Multiple players will be set to leave, while there is an exciting young core in North London, with Vuskovic at the very centre of that.
Given the quality of the squad, De Zerbi should be able to go on and secure survival, and this could decide the future of one of, if not Europe’s most promising defender.