Luka Vuskovic: What can Spurs fans expect from the Croatia defender?

Bardi, from The Extra Inch – A Spurs Podcast

Over the years, the legend of Luka Vusković has grown and grown. His outstanding leaps and a body beyond his age, combined with two successful loan spells, has only added to the hype.

Three years after his £12million signing, many are ready to kneel before Luka and name him the solution to all our defensive problems, without ever seeing him play in the flesh.

Last night in Dallas, Luca had a chance to add to that reputation and prove he’s ready, but a punishing opening-game loss at the hands of players he’s expected to deal with week in and week out didn’t go to plan. The legend took a serious hit.

A breakout season in Germany with Hamburg has made Luca a major talking point. He took the opportunity with both hands. He finished the season as the highest scoring defender and was named in the 2025–26 Team of the Season.

His success coincided with another disappointing season at N17. While we were locked in a relegation battle with centre-backs who weren’t interested in fighting, Luca in Europe was being smashed by opposition strikers as if they were made of paper.

His strong performances propelled him into the limelight of the media, into the consciousness of the Croatian national team and every Spurs fan. Suddenly, Luca was seen as an alternative, no longer a protégé.

What has always set Luka apart is his frame. This is what gives him an edge in duels and makes him such an asset in set-pieces, but his size comes at a cost. His lack of recovery speed was for all as Jude Bellingham slotted home England’s third. His lack of speed, pace and mobility on the turn are real concerns.

Not every defender needs to be as fast as Mickey van de Ven, but you need to be able to maximize your strengths and hide your weaknesses. TottenhamAt this point, neither is in a position to offer him the minutes he needs to develop into a true top-level center-back prospect.

Hopefully, given time to reflect on what happened in Dallas, his team of advisers will make the right decision. It’s not realistic to demand a start at Spurs when we’ve already added Marco Sennesi and are about to announce Jan Paul van Hey.

Vuskovic remains an exciting prospect, but needs playing time and strong guidance on and off the training ground. The smartest decision for all teams would be a loan to a Premier League club with a similar style of football.

Start now with the hard work and focus required to make the legend a reality.