Tottenham Hotspur’s dismal start to the new Premier League campaign has already put the club’s summer transfer business under the microscope, and not just in terms of the incomings.
Those moved on by this ENIC regime are also likely to come into sharper focus if these early-season woes continue, with the bright start for Luka Vuskovic at Brighton and Hove Albion already having alarm bells ringing.
Signed from Hajduk Split back in 2023, before officially joining in 2025, the Croatian teenager never actually made a competitive appearance for the Lilywhites, having spent last season on loan at Hamburg.
His quality shone through in the Bundesliga, yet that wasn’t enough to force his way into Roberto De Zerbi’s plans for the new campaign. It’s a decision that already looks set to backfire, and one that Spurs will need to avoid in the near future.
Why Spurs decided to sell Luka Vuskovic
With Cristian Romero’s exit having long felt inevitable at N17, it looked as if Spurs already had the perfect replacement in the building in the form of Vuskovic.
Still only 19, the towering centre-back was part of Croatia’s World Cup squad this summer, fresh from scoring six goals in 30 games back in Germany.
He’d previously also sparkled in Belgium the year prior, scoring seven times in just 36 games for Westerlo, ahead of linking up with Spurs for pre-season last summer.
He looks like a genuine superstar in the making, yet his demand for regular game time this season under De Zerbi couldn’t be guaranteed by the Italian, hence the youngster’s desire to push for an exit.
With Marcos Senesi already in the building on a free, De Zerbi’s desire to pluck Jan Paul van Hecke from Brighton ensured ENIC were willing to cash in Vuskovic, raking in a staggering £60m fee in the process.
On paper, that looks like good business considering he joined for just £12m, yet with £52m already invested back into Van Hecke, was this a sale Tottenham truly needed to sanction?
Why Spurs will regret selling Vuskovic after his start at Brighton
Spurs can’t score at one end and have struggled to keep them out at the other end, with the Senesi and Van Hecke pairing shipping three on the opening weekend, while even the return of Micky van de Ven didn’t aid matters immediately against Newcastle United.
As for Vuskovic, he was part of a Brighton side that shipped four at Stamford Bridge, although he did help to keep a clean sheet against Aston Villa, while shining and scoring in the recent 1-1 draw with Leeds United.
The 6 foot 4 sensation rose highest at the back post to nod home for his first goal for the Seagulls, already the 19th goal of his senior career for club and country.
He’s the complete package, it must be said, already a leader at such a young age, such an asset too both in and out of possession.
The ex-Spurs man has averaged a stellar 93% pass accuracy rate from his three starts so far under Fabian Hurzeler, having also won 5.3 total duels on average.
Vuskovic – 25/26 Bundesliga Stats | |
|---|---|
Stat (*per game) | Record |
Games | 28 |
Goals | 6 |
Assists | 0 |
Big chances missed | 5 |
Big chances created | 0 |
Pass accuracy* | 83% |
Key passes* | 0.4 |
Tackles & interceptions* | 2.2 |
Total duels won* | 7.4 |
Aerial duels won* | 5.3 |
Such quality was evident last term in the Bundesliga, yet ENIC still decided to sell regardless. Let’s hope a repeat scenario isn’t on the cards.
Spurs could be heading toward Vuskovic repeat next summer
There was wisdom in not immediately throwing Vuskovic into the mix last season, with the move to Hamburg allowing him the chance to prove himself in one of Europe’s big five leagues.
He certainly took that opportunity, even courting attention from the likes of Bayern Munich, such was the immense nature of his impact in German football.
With Romero set to be on his way, and Spurs trying to recover from a dire, turbulent 2025/26 campaign, it appeared a certainty that the Croatian would slip in alongside Van de Ven for 2026/27.
Alas, De Zerbi has largely favoured experience over youth, with there a clear concern at the lack of a pathway for young talent at N17.
Indeed, Tynan Thompson has been sold on to Manchester United, while Mikey Moore has mirrored Vuskovic in being allowed to head to the Bundesliga on loan, joining FC Koln for the season.
The hope will be that Moore doesn’t also fall victim of this De Zerbi regime, with the Englishman another teenage talent who deserves to be part of the first-team set-up back in north London for the long-term.
He did, of course, start on the opening weekend against Brentford, yet the 19-year-old was one of the few to at least generate a handful of chances, having also shone in pre-season with his brace against Hoffenheim.
A stunner against Charlton Athletic also showed what he’s all about, yet with Savio, Omar Marmoush and Mykhailo Mudryk brought in late on by ENIC, Moore was ultimately allowed to move on.
Similarly to Vuskovic in Belgium, Moore had flourished initially at Rangers last term, scoring seven and assisting three for the Ibrox giants, emerging as a real shining light in Glasgow despite his relative youth.
Perhaps, like for Vuskovic, there is wisdom in allowing him the chance to take the next step in a top European league like the Bundesliga, but Spurs shouldn’t be contemplating cashing in next summer.
It’s early days, of course, but Moore did sparkle on debut even as Koln fell to a heavy defeat to Stuttgart, creating two ‘big chances’ after entering the fray off the bench, while registering two shots on target.
Manager Rene Wagner dished out glowing praise post-match, hailing the teenager’s “exceptional quality”, while suggesting that he effectively “changed the game” in the second half.
Like Vuskovic, he looks to have taken to Bundesliga life like a duck to water, likely to be someone whom supporters keep a watchful eye on this season. He is, as Gary Mabbutt stated, a future “superstar” after all.
The idea will be that he is ready to impact the first team properly back in north London next season – let’s just hope ENIC aren’t solely interested in pure profit instead.
