Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly set to sign Luka Vuskovic and Hajduk Split’s academy chief is wishing the teenage defender ‘all the best’ if he ends up at the Premier League giants.
Would Luka Vuskovic have been quite so keen to put pen to paper with Tottenham had Jose Mourinho or Antonio Conte still been at the helm? It’s fair to say that neither Mourinho nor Conte are particularly renowned for giving youth a chance; the likes of Jack Clarke, Cameron Carter-Vickers and Juan Foyth going on to achieve big things elsewhere after being shunned by two coaches who often ignored the long-term in favour of securing ‘short-term’ success.
But Ange Postecoglou is different. And we’re not just referring to his enticing brand of all-action attacking football, gleeful chants of ‘We’ve got our Spurs back’ testament to the immediate impact made by a man quickly becoming Tottenham’s most popular head coach since Mauricio Pochettino’s heyday.
Tottenham beat Man City and PSG to Luka Vuskovic
According to Fabrizio Romano, 16-year-old Vuskovic only had eyes for Tottenham. That is despite interest from Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich.
“It’s imminent now, I expect Spurs to complete the deal this week,” Romano tells Caught Offside. “This talented young centre-back will 100 per cent be a Spurs player.”
Romano does not explain the role Postecoglou played in Vuskovic’s decision. But the Australian’s remarkable track-record for developing budding up-and-comers – and his adoption of the ‘if you’re good enough, you’re old enough’ mantra – makes Tottenham are far better fit for one of Europe’s most exciting teenagers than they would have been under Mourinho or Conte.
“I’m glad that our coaches made a great player. I wish him all the best (if Vuskovic joins Tottenham),” smiles Boro Primorac, the long-serving Arsenal coach who now works as the head of Hajduk Split’s academy (24Sata).
“The most important thing is that he plays. He is training with us, which is important for both Hajduk and Croatian football. I don’t know what is happening with the transfer.
“(But) it’s nice that Croatian players reach big clubs, like (Josko) Gvardiol and (Luka) Modric.”
One of Europe’s most exciting teenagers heading to Spurs
Vuskovic will reportedly set Spurs back around £12 million, joining fellow teenager Ashley Phillips in the English capital. The Standard, meanwhile, believe that Tottenham fans will have to wait to see Hajduk Split’s youngest-ever goalscorer in action.
Vuskovic is likely to remain in Croatia until he celebrates his 18th birthday.
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