It’s been a hectic week for Tottenham Hotspur. Marcos Senesi’s move to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium was announced as the Argentine followed Andy Robertson to north London.
Right-back Pedro Porro is set to sign a new deal at the club, but the surprise came in the form of Brighton’s reported £30m offer for young centre-back Luka Vuskovic. The teenager spent last season on loan at Bundesliga side Hamburg, and thrived in Germany.
Vuskovic was essential as Hamburg beat the drop. He ranked third for both clearances (251) and aerial wins (149) in Germany’s top tier last term. In addition, the 19-year-old scored six league goals. He was effective at both ends of the pitch.
And the performances caught the eye of a number of Europe’s heavy hitters. Bayern Munich have been credited with an interest in Vuskovic. So, too, have Barcelona. Now, it’s supposedly the Seagulls who are leading the race for the Croat. Vuskovic feels his career is best-served moving to the south coast. The appeal of regular Premier League football is certainly there.
The issue, however, is whether Spurs would be willing to cash in on the 19-year-old. Vuskovic, after all, is considered one of the brightest defensive talents in world football. Spurs struck gold when they signed him from Hajduk Split.
Conversely, he is a player who has never made a competitive appearance for Spurs. He showed glimpses of his quality in pre-season last year, yet can you miss something you never really had?
Spurs set to be overstocked with centre-backs
What seems to have irked supporters is the low fee that Brighton have offered in order to land Vuskovic. Given Jeremy Jacquet will move to Liverpool for double that price this summer should give an indication as to Vuskovic’s market value. He’s a centre-back who is destined for the very top. As such, Brighton’s valuation feels derogatory.
Yet Spurs are now at risk of being overstocked on centre-backs. They have already signed Senesi and are expected to land Brighton star Jan Paul van Hecke this summer. With Micky van de Ven, Kevin Danso, Cristian Romero and Radu Dragusin presently on the books, Vuskovic’s return raises the possibility of seven first-team ready centre-backs available to head coach Roberto De Zerbi.
Admittedly, Romero has been linked with a move away from the club this summer. Dragusin is another deemed surplus to requirements. There is also the possibility that De Zerbi just does not fancy Vuskovic as he doesn’t match the style of play the Italian wants to implement.
It’s no secret that De Zerbi wants his centre-backs to be the ones to instigate attacks. Van Hecke broke onto the scene with Brighton under De Zerbi, and has developed into a passing machine. An 87.2% pass success rate from 70.7 passes per 90 is a case in point.
Senesi, too, was one of the most effective distributors in England’s top tier last term. The Argentine completed 5.1 long passes per 90 in the 2025/26 Premier League season. In addition, the former Bournemouth man attempted 0.4 through balls per 90 and 32.4 forward passes per 90.
Vuskovic doesn't match De Zerbi's gameplan
What’s key here is that Van Hecke and Senesi’s passing numbers eclipsed Vuskovic. Granted, Hamburg played a more reactive style in the Bundesliga last season, whereas Brighton and Bournemouth, respectively, were more dominant. It meant there was greater onus on the two Premier League centre-backs to instigate attacks.
Vuskovic’s primary duty by comparison was to protect the Hamburg goal and ease pressure on goalkeeper Daniel Heuer Fernandes. And with De Zerbi given greater say on how the club operates, if he isn’t sold on Vuskovic then Vuskovic will be sold.
It will be a case of what-could-have-been, and Spurs would be throwing away a diamond in the rough if they do sell Vuskovic. Saying that, even if De Zerbi isn’t keen on the centre-back then they can ill-afford to cash in on the defender way below market value.
Of course, it could be Brighton posturing in order to accelerate the deal to sell Van Hecke given his desire to link up with De Zerbi. The murky world of football transfers after all.
Either way, this summer presents a real crossroads in Vuskovic’s Tottenham Hotspur career. It’s a key window for the club and if they feel it best to sell to talented Croatia international, in order to fund a squad capable of avoiding another relegation scrap, then so be it.