Toby Alderweireld has tipped Luka Vuskovic to have a huge future at Tottenham after comparing the young centre-back to Jan Vertonghen. The former Spurs defender said he sees the same kind of all-round quality in Vuskovic and believes the teenager will be handed his chance.
The timing matters because Vuskovic has just been named in the Bundesliga team of the season after his loan spell at Hamburg, a recognition that has sharpened interest from clubs across Europe. Tottenham signed him nearly three years ago, but he has still not played a competitive game for the club, leaving his next step open.
Alderweireld’s view carries weight because he faced Vuskovic in Belgium when the defender was at Westerlo. He described him as physically very strong for his age and said that strength will only grow, while also pointing to his passing and ability with the ball. In his view, Vuskovic is not a simple no-nonsense defender. He can win headers, score goals, move quickly and play through pressure, the kind of profile that made him draw the comparison with Vertonghen.
That praise lands against a real choice Tottenham still have to make. Vuskovic has been sent out on loan rather than used in a first-team match, and although his form at Hamburg has raised his profile, Spurs have not yet settled on what happens next. He has made no secret of wanting to stay on loan at Hamburg so he can keep playing alongside his brother, whose doping ban ends in November.
Alderweireld did offer one possible route. He said Vuskovic could join Spurs for pre-season and show what he can do, and even if that does not happen immediately, he expects the club will give him a proper chance in time. Tottenham are also working on deals for Marcos Senesi and Jan Paul van Hecke, which adds another layer to a defensive picture that is still being sorted out. For Vuskovic, the reward for a strong season in Germany is clear; the next answer is whether that season has brought him back into Tottenham’s plans, or pushed him toward another move instead.
