Bardi, from The Extra Inch – a Spurs podcast
Over the years, the legend of Luka Vuskovic has grown and grown. His prodigious leap and a physique well beyond his age, combined with two successful loan spells, have only added to the hype.
Three years on from his £12m signing, many are ready to kneel before Luka and name him the solution to all our defensive issues without ever having seen him play in the flesh.
Last night in Dallas, Luka had an opportunity to add to that reputation and prove that he is ready, but a chastening opening-game defeat at the hands of players he will be expected to face week in, week out did not go to plan. The legend took a serious hit.
Luka’s rise to becoming a major talking point is down to a breakout season in Germany with Hamburg. He took the opportunity with both hands. He finished the season as the top-scoring defender and was named in the 2025-26 Team of the Season.
His success coincided with another disappointing season at N17. As we battled relegation with centre-backs who looked uninterested in the fight, over in Europe Luka was crashing through opposition strikers as though they were made of paper.
His strong performances propelled him into the media limelight, the Croatian national team and the consciousness of every Spurs fan. Suddenly, Luka was viewed as an option, no longer a protege.
What has always made Luka stand out is his frame. It is what gives him the edge in duels and makes him such an asset at set-pieces, but his size comes at a cost. His lack of recovery pace was there for all to see as Jude Bellingham stormed through to slot home England’s third. His lack of pace, speed on the turn and mobility are genuine concerns.
Not every defender needs to be as fast as Micky van de Ven, but you need to be able to maximise your strengths and hide your weaknesses. Tottenham, right now, are not in a position to offer him the minutes he needs to grow from being a prospect into a genuine top-level centre-back.
Hopefully, given time to reflect on what happened in Dallas, his team of advisers will make the correct decision. Demanding to start at Spurs when we have already added Marco Senesi and are about to announce Jan Paul van Hecke is not realistic.
Vuskovic remains an exciting prospect, but one in need of playing time and strong guidance on and off the training pitch. The most sensible decision for all parties would be a loan at a Premier League club with a similar style of football.
The hard work and focus needed to turn the legend into reality start now.
