Luka Vuskovic has opened up on Tottenham’s decision to sell him and why he chose Brighton.
The Croatian centre-back has begun his Premier League career in outstanding fashion and looks set to become one of the best defenders in the world. That won’t surprise anyone who watched his loan spells in Germany, Belgium and Poland, particularly his breakout season at Hamburg last year.
Plenty of pundits have slammed Spurs for swapping him for Jan Paul van Hecke, arguing that Brighton got the better player. It has all the makings of a sale Tottenham fans will regret for years, and reports claim Bayern Munich and Chelsea are already watching him after his flying start at the Amex.
Speaking to The Argus, Vuskovic admitted he still has no idea why Tottenham didn’t want him, but said Brighton had followed him for several years and always wanted to sign him. Asked if he’d proved a point to Spurs, he rejected that idea, saying the club helped him enormously during his two years as a teenager there, including his loans, and that he remains grateful. He added that he feels great at Brighton, an incredible club that believes in him and is full of young talent.
Even so, Spurs can defend the move. After two successive 17th-place finishes with a very young squad, they weren’t in a position to promise him regular starts. De Zerbi stressed in the summer that nobody is guaranteed a place, and even Mateus Fernandes, an £85m signing, has struggled for minutes. Had Vuskovic stayed and fought for his spot, Tottenham would probably have kept him.
Financially, the deal is far from a disaster. Spurs made a big profit on a player who never played a competitive first-team game, and a 20 per cent sell-on clause means more money could follow.
Supporters remain split. A SpursWeb poll in September asked more than 3,500 fans whether selling Vuskovic and signing Van Hecke was a mistake, and around 66 per cent said yes, though that only reflects those who chose to vote. His strong start at Brighton has given them more ammunition, but it is still early days.
Ultimately, the verdict will depend on how both defenders develop in the years ahead. For now, Vuskovic is getting the regular football he wanted, while Spurs have banked a hefty fee for a player they weren’t willing to guarantee a starting role.
