Tottenham Hotspur’s new £12 million signing has his ‘flaws’ with one Croatia-based coach highlighting the Premier League-bound defenders lack of pace.
Ange Postecoglou might not be thanking Marija Kosa, the Mladost Zdralovi youth boss giving his fellow coaches some advice about how to minimise the strengths and expose the weaknesses of the London-bound centre-half.
Tottenham Hotpsur have already struck a £12 million deal to sign Luka Vuskovic from Hajduk Split. Vuskovic will officially become a Spurs player when he celebrates his 18th birthday.
But while the teenager is undoubtedly an ‘extremely talented’ football player – there was interest from Manchester City, Bayern Munich and co for a reason – a lack of genuine pace could yet prove to be something of a weakness in his game.
Tottenham Hotspur win Luka Vuskovic race
“Vuskovic played against us in Zdralovi last season,” Kosa tells Index, his Mladost Zdralovi side defeating Hajduk’s youth side. “He is extremely talented.
“He has his virtues and his flaws. Given that we knew how Hajduk would play, with a high defensive line, that’s exactly how we got the win. We used the speed of our players because Vuskovic lacks quickness and speed.
“Of course, he is of high quality. But he has good and bad sides. We tried to prevent his excellent passing of the ball and take advantage of the situation where he stays in wide areas, because our players are faster than him.”
Vuskovic ‘lacks speed’
Postecoglou’s own penchant for a high line – his Tottenham defence positioned almost on the halfway line even after going down to nine men during Monday’s 4-1 defeat to Chelsea – might not, therefore, be the best means of maximising Vuskovic’s talents.
Still, the teenager has plenty of time to improve the physical side of his game.
“Time will tell for Tottenham,” former Hajduk coach Zoran Vulic tells Sportske Novosti. “But the English will not lose anything (by signing Vuskovic). They will only gain.
“God bless you, because Luka Vuskovic has enormous potential. But what is even more important, he also has the head of a leader.”
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