Football.London

Incoming Tottenham signing Luka Vuskovic has already outshone future Arsenal rival Bukayo Saka before even setting foot in north London.

Spurs announced their agreement to sign the Hajduk Split wonderkid back in September 2023, though it was always agreed he would remain in Croatia for another two years. But his performances mean the transfer - understood to be worth £12million - will have left some Spurs fans wishing it could be brought forward.

The Daily Express reported how the central defender has showcased some serious goalscoring abilities while on loan at Belgian side Westerlo this season. Saka, 23, has netted five times in 16 Premier League appearances this term, while 18-year-old Vuskovic has found the back of the net seven times in the Belgian Pro League.

Those figures are impressive despite Saka being sidelined since Christmas due to a hamstring injury, not to mention playing in a much more challenging league. It's worth noting Spurs' impending arrival is barely of legal drinking age and playing in a team fighting for top-flight survival, with only forward Matija Frigan (eight) boasting more goals for Westerlo this term.

Not that it's hindered Vuskovic from hitting some remarkable scoring feats this season. After a stint on loan at Polish club Radomiak Radom last season - where he scored three times in 14 appearances - he has elevated his attacking contributions again.

The Croatia under-21 international scooped the Belgian Pro League's Goal of the Year award for 2024 thanks to his stunning Boxing Day bicycle kick against Club Brugge. The 6'4" teenager showed supreme acrobatic ability at just 17, and he isn't lacking in confidence ahead of this summer's big move.

During a recent interview with Voetbalkrant, he said: "Without being arrogant, I can say that I have shown sufficient qualities. Maybe I still have to work on my speed a bit more, although Mats Hummels shows that you can make a difference even without that speed."

"If I have made my debut at Tottenham, it will be fine. Is there a chance that I will stay at Westerlo? That has not been discussed yet."

Meanwhile, Ange Postecoglou's grip at Tottenham has firmed up notably after guiding Spurs to three consecutive wins, bumping them up to a more respectable 12th in the Premier League. While scoring hasn't been an issue - only Liverpool have netted more - Spurs' defensive woes persist as a thorn in their side.

The club has been hit with a defensive crisis this season, with centre-backs Micky van de Ven, Cristian Romero and Radu Dragusin all spending significant time on the sidelines. This has led to Archie Gray and Ben Davies stepping up to fill the void.

Winter loan signing Kevin Danso has also played a crucial role since his arrival. Spurs are reportedly set to shell out £21m to Lens for his permanent signature in the summer.

This could potentially limit Vuskovic's opportunities at Tottenham even more so next season due to the increased competition. However, Postecoglou might decide to retain the young defender to prevent a repeat of this season's defensive shortages.

The Spurs boss was unable to recall the Croatian defender back in January because, following the United Kingdom's EU exit in 2020, players from overseas are not allowed to join until they turn 18 so he'll have to wait until the summer to get a closer look at him.

Tottenham have the opportunity to make it six wins from six against Manchester clubs this season when they play Pep Guardiola's Manchester City on Wednesday evening. Already facing the reigning champions twice this campaign, Spurs secured a 2-1 win in the Carabao Cup in late October before recording an emphatic 4-0 Premier League win at the Etihad Stadium the following month.

Tottenham will be out to make it a Manchester City treble and also four successive wins in the Premier League at the same time. Having closed the gap on Fulham in tenth to six points last weekend following a 4-1 victory at Ipswich Town, there is a chance that Spurs could cut the gap even further if they triumph at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Now having more options in certain areas of the pitch, Ange Postecoglou faces quite a decision over his Tottenham team to take on City. So who should he start in Wednesday's 7:30pm kick-off? Our Spurs writers at football.london have had their say below.

Alasdair Gold - Tottenham Hotspur correspondent

Much depends on fitness and who trains well in the days ahead of the game. Postecoglou told football.london that Ben Davies was only having his minutes managed but had earlier listed him among the injured and unavailable players.

It could mean another start for Archie Gray as a centre-back and Postecoglou must also decide on two players from his three full-backs, with Djed Spence the undroppable right now.

The midfield presents further options with James Maddison and Yves Bissouma fresh, and then it's whether Brennan Johnson can start again or comes on later.

Gold's team: Vicario; Porro, Danso, Gray, Spence; Bergvall, Bentancur, Maddison; Kulusevski, Tel, Son.

Rob Guest - Football writer

It is now starting to get rather tricky when it comes to naming a Tottenham XI. That is a great thing for Ange Postecoglou, though, especially after going so long with extremely limited numbers at his disposal.

There will likely be a change in defence going into Wednesday's game as Pedro Porro started on the bench at Ipswich Town. Destiny Udogie may be the one to drop out so that Spurs can manage his minutes, thus seeing Djed Spence switch over to left-back in the process.

In midfield, James Maddison comes into the side and he could prove to be a key player once again after making a big impact since his return from injury. Given the possible switch in positions for players such as Son Heung-min and Brennan Johnson who did so well at Ipswich last time out if Mathys Tel was to drop out of the XI, it may be wise to keep the same front three rather than mix things up and that could result in Lucas Bergvall making way for Maddison in midfield.

Guest's team: Vicario; Porro, Gray, Danso, Spence; Bentancur, Kulusevski, Maddison; Johnson, Tel, Son.

Discussing the futures of Tottenham's bright young stars & whether they have a future at the club - click here to listen to the latest episode of Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham

Kevin Danso may well turn out to be one of the signings of the January transfer window if his Tottenham form continues to go one way. The Austrian has settled into life in north London incredibly quickly and delivered some very impressive showings in his first four Spurs appearances.

Even in those disappointing cup defeats at the hands of Liverpool and Aston Villa, the centre-back was a rare shining light for the north London club a matter of days after his loan move from Lens. His temporary move does become permanent in the summer for £20.9million and that price tag is already looking to be quite the snip going on his displays so far.

His performance in Saturday's 4-1 win at Ipswich Town was perhaps his best one yet in a Tottenham shirt. He was a big figure at the back for Spurs and it was no surprise to see Guglielmo Vicario jump on his back after the game as they celebrated the win.

"I think he enjoys the whacks," said Ange Postecoglou on his player in his post-match press conference. "He's been great for us since he came in. He's really taken to the club, taken to the group of players, taken on the challenge.

"It's not easy when you're coming into a new club, and we're asking him to come in and almost be a senior member. We still had three teenagers out there starting today, and a fourth coming on. It's still a really young team. I think Kevin's been a super addition for us."

At a time when some January signings take a while to settle in, Danso has immediately looked at home at the heart of defence and it is clear to see why Tottenham secured an agreement with Lens for his signature. Previously lacking cover in defence, Danso is more than just an option to rotate in and out as he has all the qualities Postecoglou looks for in his centre-backs.

That is why it is perhaps not such a straightforward decision when it comes to the upcoming returns of Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven following their long injury layoffs. Danso has more than made his case for a permanent starting spot and that in turn is going to leave the head coach with quite a selection dilemma on his hands.

After the amount of injuries he has had to put him with this season, it will be one he cherishes. It may even be Danso who is the permanent member of Tottenham's centre-back partnership as Romero and Van de Ven could be drafted in and out to manage their minutes rather than push them too much too soon.

There is the possibility that Wednesday evening's game against Manchester City is the last fixture when Postecoglou does not have Romero and Van de Ven available for selection. Speaking at his pre-match press conference last Friday, Postecoglou revealed that the duo could possibly be back in time for the Europa League round of 16 first leg clash against AZ Alkmaar on Thursday, March 6.

He said: "Then we've got a week before the first Europa game. We've got the weekend off. And again, that's about the time we're hoping that guys like Romero and Micky in particular they should be in and around that sort of mark. And Richie and Dom not too far behind, to be honest.

"And again, with that, we've got sort of two games before the international break. So we're kind of mapping it out and trying to sort of navigate a way where we can have as fit and healthy squad as we have all year for the run-in."

On Romero's recent scan, he added: "Yeah, he's had that and it's going well. He's in a good place. So, like I said, with him and Micky, it's just picking our moment now.

"I'm really keen to get them back and have him back for the rest of the year. We've got a really good sort of period coming up where I think we can manage that where they're back, they've had good weeks of training with us, so that when they do come back in, they're in a good place. So, yeah, he's still going well."

Tottenham's squad is already looking stronger following the return of Guglielmo Vicario, Destiny Udogie, James Maddison, Wilson Odobert and Brennan Johnson to action over the past fortnight. Add Romero, Van de Ven, Richarlison and Dominic Solanke to the mix and they look to be in a really good position to attack the rest of the campaign if everyone stays fit.

Postecoglou already has welcome selection dilemmas in certain areas of the pitch and that is something he will have at centre-back considering Danso's form and the return of Romero and Van de Ven. Many will probably expect the duo to be immediately reinstated to the team but Danso will certainly have something to say about that.

He has proved to be a very good acquisition in his first four games for the club and it is only the start of things to come for him in N17.

Discussing the futures of Tottenham's bright young stars & whether they have a future at the club - click here to listen to the latest episode of Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham

The statistics do not make for good reading for Archie Gray or Tottenham. Spurs have endured one of their worst Premier League campaigns in years to date, with the Lilywhites currently 12th in the table with 12 games left to play.

This has happened in the midst of a huge injury crisis in N17, with head coach Ange Postecoglou having to do without a plethora of first team players for long periods of the season.

Micky van de Ven, Cristian Romero, Richarlison and Dominic Solanke all remain sidelined, although all four are on the comeback trail. The former duo being out has put pressure on the likes of Gray, who has spent almost the entire season playing out of position.

Gray, whose preferred position is central midfield, spent the majority of last season playing as a right-back for Leeds United. And he was called upon to play there for Spurs after joining in a £40million deal in the summer too.

However, it was the shift to centre-back in the absence of Van de Ven, Romero, Ben Davies and recently Radu Dragusin that was the biggest issue. Gray had never played there before and at 18-years-old was slotting into an unfamiliar position in his first season at the very highest level.

Mistakes were bound to happen. They have, and he has grown bigger and better for them. He has never shied away from the challenge and always stood up to be counted, picking himself up from every setback to go again.

When more senior players around him have gone missing, Gray has stepped up. He is not a centre-back, that is for sure, but he will be a far better player from his tough experiences this season and go on to show why he is one of the most talented prospects in England.

At 18, Gray is calm and composed on the ball, has an eye for a pass - as shown in the ball to Son Heung-min for the opening goal against Ipswich Town at the weekend - and is big and strong despite his tender years. He doesn't shirk a challenge and when he was given the runaround by Liam Delap in the first few minutes at the weekend, he did not go into his shell, he stood up tall and lifted himself to another level.

He has only made 10 tackles this season and made 30 clearances - numbers that do not look good for a centre-back in a struggling team. He has only been dispossessed seven times, though - just twice more than the highly regarded centre-back down the road by the name of William Saliba.

Postecoglou is a big fan. Speaking after the Ipswich game, the Spurs boss said: "Like I said during the week, we know he's playing out of position, we know we're throwing him challenges. Delap's a handful for anybody in this league. First few minutes, he caused him some problems. But I love that Arch takes on that challenge. He doesn't shy away from it, he doesn't hide. He just keeps going.

"As I said, we'll get enormous growth out of him during this period. But right now he's contributing to us, he's helping us. I thought we had to do some defensive work today, not a lot, but the defensive work we had to do was important. Against, like I said, a real top striker. I thought he handled it well."

But while many Tottenham fans would tell you how good Gray has been in unfamiliar territory, the stats like those above, tell a different story. And, according to FotMob, Gray is the worst ranked player in the Premier League this season.

The FotMob player rating is calculated based on more than 300 individual stats per player per match from Opta. Gray has an average ranking of 6.15 - the joint 290th score along with West Ham's Vladimir Coufal of all players this season.

The ranking makes sense, given everything that has happened to Spurs and Gray this season, but watch Gray and you would be hard pushed to find any football fan declare him the worst player in the division. After initially struggling against Delap before finding his feet, Gray faces the real litmus test of his time at centre-back when Tottenham take on Erling Haaland and Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday night.

Haaland is probably the biggest bully of a centre-forward he will ever come up against and he may just be the best choice for the role, even though Ben Davies could return.

Pep Guardiola has insisted Erling Haaland could feature for Manchester City against Tottenham after missing the defeat to Liverpool on Sunday.

The prolific striker failed to prove his fitness to face the Reds at the Etihad Stadium, with his side being defeated 2-0 by Arne Slot's side. The Norwegian suffered a knee injury in the champions’ Premier League win over Newcastle last weekend and has not featured since.

Scans have not shown any significant issues but the 24-year-old, who also sat out the midweek Champions League loss to Real Madrid, has continued to feel discomfort. Asked about the problem after City were beaten by the Reds, manager Pep Guardiola said the situation was unclear.

“I don’t know,” Guardiola said. “I would like to know, but I don’t know.

“His knee – the moment against Newcastle moved the knee. Apparently he’s not injured because the scans dictate that he’s fine, but he didn’t feel fine.

“I have the feeling it (his return) will be soon because he trained yesterday and made some really good movements, but he said he was not ready and we have to respect that. Hopefully he can be back for Spurs.”

Haaland has scored 27 goals for City this season, but his absence was keenly felt against both Madrid and Liverpool. The Madrid loss denied City a place in the last 16 of the Champions League for the first time since 2013 and Sunday’s reverse left them fourth in the Premier League.

Tottenham welcome Man City to north London in good form, having won their last three games in all competitions. Spurs' 4-1 win over Ipswich Town on Saturday was a decent result for Ange Postecoglou's side and the Australian will want to extend the unbeaten run on Wednesday.

Discussing the futures of Tottenham's bright young stars & whether they have a future at the club - click here to listen to the latest episode of Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham

Daniel Levy must invest heavily in Tottenham's squad or risk the continued wrath of supporters, says club icon Glenn Hoddle. After the biggest protest seen in north London for years, it is now or never for change.

With Tottenham languishing in the bottom half of the table - albeit now on the up after three consecutive league wins for the first time since December 2023 - fans voted with their feet last weekend against Manchester United. Thousands attended a march towards the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium prior to the 1-0 victory over United with one clear aim.

"24 years, 16 managers, 1 trophy, time for change" one banner held by the flock of peaceful protesters read. Another said: "Our game is about glory, Levy's game is about greed."

Many supporters held yellow scarves with the words "Enough is enough, Enic out" written on them, whilst others simply said "Levy out." The dissatisfaction has been brewing.

Tottenham's form has dipped dramatically since Ange Postecoglou's first 10 matches in charge and the depleted nature of the current playing group, as well as a perceived lack of investment on the sporting side of matters, has seen Levy become a public enemy. For Hoddle, he believes the motives aren't as strong as they first seem.

"I don't think it's a scenario to get Daniel Levy out at the moment," he exclusively told football.london. "What I would say is that the problem with building a stadium, which is a magnificent stadium, to get the training ground built which any player in the world would want to be in that environment, now there's two aspects to it.

"The emphasis for me has got to be, 100 per cent, 110 per cent, the squad. Build a squad that justifies the stadium. For me, it should be the other way around. You build the squad and then many build the stadium.

"It's gone this way round, I think that's why Spurs fans are up in arms. They're up in arms to say that the emphasis, the priority, all seems to be something else.

"That's why I personally feel that they've done a fantastic job with running the club, bringing in extra revenue. But why you're bringing in revenue is actually to build the squad that can glorify that stadium. That stadium deserves to have a wonderful team for Tottenham's future, winning trophies. Fans would be happy. What a great environment to go and watch a football game with the atmosphere. That's the vision that the club should have."

With Tottenham's last piece of major silverware coming almost 20 years ago with the 2008 League Cup, the malaise which has set in has grown too much. Spurs are now regularly among the top revenue drivers in the division and face no financial threat unlike some of their rivals in recent years, but it is not enough for those who go watch on a weekly basis.

"If the emphasis is on that [revenue] and it's Levy and Enic's priority and that's what they're going to do, it's a bit of a crossroads in many ways," continues Hoddle, speaking ahead of Tottenham's Premier League clash with Manchester City on Wednesday night, which will be live on TNT Sports, where he will be working as a pundit.

"Bring the glory days back. If that's the situation then happy days, let's do it, let's go. There's no need to be getting rid of anybody. It just worries me that it's not that emphasis and it's not that priority and if it isn't then the fans are looking at this thinking, 'We have got to look at this now. If it isn't [the priority to win] then we want some change'."

Hoddle does have sympathy for Levy, but also question marks. "I think Daniel has done a fantastic job at the two things he's done. Now the big question mark is, are we going to spend every penny on the squad to make the team successful? It's getting harder and harder because there's so many good teams in the Premier League.

"That's what the fans are protesting about when you look at the overbelly of it. And listen, bringing in extra revenue is great, that's the icing on the cake. There's no use bringing it in if it's not going to be used in the right way.

"I don't care about the NFL. I've been there, it's a lovely day, great day. Go-karting, whatever, fantastic. The emphasis now has got to be that the stadium deserves a fabulous squad."

Is it something he can realistically see Levy doing, though? "I don't know, that's the big question. Only Daniel would be able to answer that. Spurs have spent some money but I'm saying, in this modern day and obviously there's restrictions and you have to get around certain scenarios with a business plan, it's just the priority has got to surely be the history of Tottenham.

"We want a generation of younger Tottenham fans to have their own [heroes]. Of course they'll have their favourites but they need their own legends and heroes who have won stuff for the club. That's what a football club is about. It's about the history of a football club, not what a lovely stadium they have.

"Yeah, that's fantastic, and the training ground, fabulous, what an environment for players to go and work. But at the end of the day the mentality and emphasis has to be to build a squad that this stadium deserves.

"It's the wrong way round in many ways in my opinion. But now we are in this scenario we have got to spin it and then the fans will enjoy the stadium even more."

It is a stance that Hoddle repeats several times when talking to football.london and his passion burns through for the team he supports. As a player in more than 330 games for Tottenham and manager of over 100, watching from the outside and seeing the troubles is a clear pain for him.

"The crossroads for Tottenham in many ways is the emphasis," he reiterates once more. "Fans want to see the priorities now of building a squad over the next coming years that can really go somewhere.

"As I keep saying, give that stadium what it deserves with the trophies." For many, it is a message they have been championing for a decade. It hasn't brought about the desired change at Tottenham, though, and Levy is starting to have it made impossibly evident to him just what the deeper feelings really are.

Watch all 10 fixtures from Matchday 27 of the Premier League, including Tottenham v Manchester City, exclusively live on TNT Sports and discovery+ from Tuesday 25th to Thursday 27th February

Discussing the future of Tottenham's bright young stars & what changes Ange Postecoglou should make for Ipswich. Click here to listen to the latest episode of Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham.

Ange Postecoglou's Tottenham team selection at Ipswich Town was always going to be interesting with a host of players recently returning to fitness. Seeing Guglielmo Vicario, James Maddison, Wilson Odobert and Brennan Johnson all make their comeback the previous week against Manchester United, Destiny Udogie was an unused substitute for the 1-0 victory in the capital.

Postecoglou went to Suffolk on Saturday having the option to rotate his team and give those who have just returned an increase in pitch time. For the second weekend in a row, Tottenham had the luxury of a full week to get ready for their match rather than having limited time with games tending to come every three or four days in 2024/25.

Even with a good amount of time to prepare for the trip to Portman Road, it was always going to be about manging minutes ahead of Wednesday's game against Manchester City. That's why players such as Archie Gray, Yves Bissouma, Pape Matar Sarr, Udogie and Johnson who did not start against Manchester United were always candidates to get the nod at Ipswich.

Gray, Udogie and Johnson did come into the team, with Bissouma and Sarr remaining on the substitutes' bench. Despite Rodrigo Bentancur playing a lot of football of late, Postecoglou elected to start with the Uruguayan once again rather than give him a breather ahead of the Manchester City match.

Lucas Bergvall also kept his place in the team, a decision which was fully justified after an excellent showing against the Tractor Boys. Since seeing his minutes in the Premier League really increase from the middle of December onwards due to a lack of available players, Bergvall has demonstrated exactly why he was brought to Tottenham in the first place.

The Swede has started six of Tottenham's last seven Premier League matches, with the only game he didn't start coming in the 2-0 win at Brentford. However, his importance to the team could be seen by the fact that he was introduced by Postecoglou at the break as Tottenham tried to hold on to their 1-0 lead, which they later doubled in the closing stages through Sarr.

Just like Gray, Bergvall has taken his game to a whole new level since his introduction to the team towards the end of last year and he has more than made his case for a permanent place in the starting XI. Bentancur is one player who is seen as an undroppable in Postecoglou's Tottenham XI.

The 27-year-old's season has been stop-start due to his seven-match domestic ban and injury but virtually all of his playing time has come from the off. Bissouma, on the other hand, has found himself in and out of the team and has clearly lost his previously undroppable status.

Even in a game against a side in the bottom three where Postecoglou had the option to rotate and rest key players, Bissouma started on the bench and was only introduced with five minutes to go as the boss quite clearly wanted to go with his preferred midfield to maintain their current momentum. Sarr was an unused substitute in the 4-1 win, with football.london reporting that the Senegal ace did look stiff and was struggling to move freely when he came back from one late warm-up with Bissouma.

Right now, it does look like Bentancur and Bergvall are two of Postecoglou's three first-choice midfielders, with one of Maddison or Dejan Kulusevski joining them to make up Tottenham's triumvirate. However, the increasing options in attack could result in both Maddison and Kulusevski starting in midfield again as was the case earlier in the season.

All will become clear in the weeks ahead but it would appear that Bissouma and Sarr have work to do in order to reclaim their place in Spurs' Premier League XI.

Discussing the futures of Tottenham's bright young stars & whether they have a future at the club - click here to listen to the latest episode of Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham

The celebrations for Djed Spence's first Premier League goal said it all. A key player for Ange Postecoglou since coming into the Tottenham team, the versatile full-back was mobbed by his teammates in front of the travelling away faithful.

Spence deserved that moment and there may be a few more celebrations to come if he continues to excel in the Spurs side and perhaps even take his game to an even greater level. Equally adept now playing as a right-back or left-back, his goal against Ipswich Town all came from a positive run down the left flank.

The 24-year-old then teamed up with James Maddison, who in turn picked out his teammate after some lovely footwork in the box. Spence did the rest as he took two touches of the ball before finding the back of the net via a Luke Wolfenden deflection.

He immediately raced over to the away fans, slid on his knees and covered his face with his hands before he was greeted by the rest of the Tottenham team. The joy of his teammates was perfectly encapsulated in one photo as Pedro Porro could be seen screaming in the face of his fellow full-back at a time when he had both hands on Spence's head.

The ex-Nottingham Forest loanee's Tottenham turnaround has been quite remarkable and one of the stories of the season in N17. It may indeed culminate in the ultimate reward as Spence must surely be in contention to make Thomas Tuchel's first England squad next month.

There are very few English full-backs playing better than him right now and many connected with Spurs will no doubt believe that he should be rewarded with his maiden Three Lions call-up. If that is to be the case early next month, it would be richly deserved and a sign of how far he has come at Tottenham in such a short space of time.

Spence still has a further five opportunities to stake his place for an England spot as Tottenham have Premier League showdowns against Manchester City, Bournemouth and Fulham as well as a Europa League double-header against AZ Alkmaar to come before the first international break of 2025. Tuchel starts life as England boss on home soil with World Cup qualifiers against Albania and Latvia at Wembley Stadium.

In terms of the players who can play in Spence's natural right-back role in the England team, Trent Alexander-Arnold will be leading the way to start and Rico Lewis and Tino Livramento could well be selected once again. Tuchel may also have a call to make over Reece James, who was previously a key member of his Chelsea team, as the 25-year-old has since returned to fitness amid his previous injury woes that have really limited his game time in recent seasons.

On the other side of the pitch, Spence has proved he is more than capable of playing from the left as that's where the vast majority of his football has come under Postecoglou. Newcastle United left-back Lewis Hall is certainly someone who will be under consideration and the same goes for Arsenal's Myles Lewis-Skelly after an outstanding breakthrough season at the Emirates Stadium.

The perennially overlooked Tyrick Mitchell could possibly finally get his chance under Thomas Tuchel after only making two appearances for Gareth Southgate despite excelling for Crystal Palace on a regular basis. Chelsea's Levi Colwill is another option at left-back, although the youngster will be hoping to become a permanent part of the backline at centre-back.

Whether or not Spence gets the call-up for England duty next month remains to be seen. The fact that he should be in the conversation just shows the great strides he has made for Tottenham during the 2024/25 season.

Keep performing the way he does for his club and it could be a no-brainer for Tuchel in 2025 as he plots his England masterplan.

Discussing the futures of Tottenham's bright young stars & whether they have a future at the club - click here to listen to the latest episode of Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham

Luka Vuskovic has hinted that he is eyeing up a debut for Tottenham Hotspur next season. The long wait for the centre-back to link up with Spurs will soon be over after it was first announced that he had completed a move to north London back in September 2023.

Confirming that the club had reached an agreement with Hajduk Split that would see the talented defender join in 2025, it was also announced that Vuskovic had penned a long-term deal with Tottenham until the summer of 2030. Signing for Tottenham after limited first-team outings for Croatian side Hajduk, Vuskovic has since gone on to star on loan for Polish side Radomiak Radom and Westerlo of Belgium.

The 17-year-old, who is now playing alongside future Tottenham teammate Alfie Devine for Westerlo, has earned rave reviews in Belgium this season and certainly given Spurs fans a glimpse of what is to come. As well as showing his defensive capabilities, the Croat has also demonstrated that he is a very useful weapon in the opposition box after scoring seven goals in 25 league games in 2024/25.

His latest goal came on Saturday as Westerlo lost 3-1 at home to Charleroi. Again, it was another header from Vuskovic as he converted Dogucan Haspolat's corner to give Westerlo the lead.

Due to turn 18 years of age on Monday and with his Tottenham move edging ever closer, Vuskovic was asked about his Spurs transfer, gaining experience and also about the possibility of returning to Westerlo next season if he isn't to be part of Ange Postecoglou's plans initially.

“I had barely played ten games for Hajduk. In the meantime, I have already gained some experience,” he said on his Tottenham transfer, as reported by Voetbalkrant.

“Without being arrogant, I can say that I have shown sufficient qualities. Maybe I still have to work on my speed a bit more, although Mats Hummels shows that you can make a difference even without that speed.

“If I have made my debut at Tottenham, it will be fine. Is there a chance that I will stay at Westerlo? That has not been discussed yet.”

Discussing the futures of Tottenham's bright young stars & whether they have a future at the club - click here to listen to the latest episode of Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham

Tottenham are now only six points off the top half of the Premier League table after recording a 4-1 win over Ipswich Town on Saturday. A double from Brennan Johnson and further strikes from Djed Spence and Dejan Kulusevski saw Ange Postecoglou's side make it three successive Premier League wins.

Tottenham have the chance to make it four on Wednesday evening when they take on Manchester City in N17. Looking quite far off a top-half finish a few weeks ago due to the big gap coupled with their poor form, Spurs appear to be building some real momentum now and that could possibly make all the difference come May.

As things stand, Brighton & Hove Albion and Fulham sit ninth and tenth respectively, with Tottenham six points adrift of the Cottagers having played 26 games. So who do their rivals in the league table play over the next five games? football.london takes a look below.

Tottenham

Wednesday, February 26 - Manchester City (H)

Sunday, March 9 - Bournemouth (H)

Sunday, March 16 - Fulham (A)

Wednesday, April 2 - Chelsea (A)

Saturday, April 5 - Southampton (H)

Tottenham have fared extremely well against the two Manchester clubs this season and they will be determined to make it six wins from six when they face Pep Guardiola's team on Wednesday. It is a very tricky game for Spurs but they will go into the match with some real confidence.

Bournemouth at home and Fulham away in March are tough games for the team, especially with the side playing against AZ Alkmaar in the Europa League prior to both fixtures. Tottenham never fare well at Chelsea but they will be expected to collect all three points against Southampton in early April.

Brighton & Hove Albion

Tuesday, February 25 - Bournemouth (H)

Saturday, March 8 - Fulham (H)

Saturday, March 15 - Manchester City (A)

Tuesday, April 1 - Aston Villa (H)

Saturday, April 5 - Crystal Palace (A)

Brighton have responded to their 7-0 drubbing at Nottingham Forest in the best way possible after recording three successive wins in all competitions. The Seagulls are only four points off fourth right now and four of their next fixtures come against fellow teams competing for a place in Europe.

As they could quite easily drop points coming up against teams such as Bournemouth, Fulham, Manchester City and Aston Villa, Spurs will hopefully be ready and waiting to pounce.

Fulham

Tuesday, February 25 - Wolves (A)

Saturday, March 8 - Brighton & Hove Albion (A)

Sunday, March 16 - Tottenham (H)

Tuesday, April 1 - Arsenal (A)

Saturday, April 5 - Liverpool (H)

Fulham are certainly in with a shout of a European place come the end of the season as they sit four points off Bournemouth in fifth as things stand. The Cottagers will need to put a consistent run together, though, if they are going to achieve that goal under Marco Silva.

The west London club do have some big games coming up in the calendar, including a four-game run where they take on Brighton, Tottenham, Arsenal and Liverpool.

Brentford

Wednesday, February 26 - Everton (H)

Saturday, March 8 - Aston Villa (H)

Saturday, March 15 - Bournemouth (A)

Wednesday, April 2 - Newcastle United (A)

Saturday, April 5 - Chelsea (H)

Brentford appear to have finally addressed their form on the road after beating West Ham and Leicester City away in their last two games. That will be put to the test in the next five matches with difficult games at Bournemouth and Newcastle United on the calendar.

They will also have to work very hard for the points at home with Everton, Aston Villa and Chelsea to come.

Crystal Palace

Tuesday, February 25 - Aston Villa (H)

Saturday, March 8 - Ipswich Town (H)

Wednesday, April 2 - Southampton (A)

Saturday, April 5 - Brighton & Hove Albion (H)

Saturday, April 12 - Manchester City (A)

Crystal Palace are currently on the same points as Tottenham and cannot be ruled out of a top-half finish. Finding some consistency is going to be key, though, if Oliver Glasner can guide the Eagles into the top ten come the final day of the season.

Palace will be expected to beat Ipswich Town and Southampton but the Aston Villa, Brighton and Manchester City games will be a challenge.

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