Bundesliga club chief dismisses concerns Tottenham could recall wonderkid in January after incredible start to loan spell in Germany

Tottenham reached an agreement with Croatian giants Hajduk Split in 2023 to sign their prodigal youth player Vuskovic in 2025, after he turns 18. The move finally materialised in the latest transfer window in the summer as the teenager completed his transfer to the Premier League. However, Spurs wanted the player to grow further and as a result, sent him out on a temporary loan deal to Hamburger SV towards the end of the window so that he could get more game time, something he would have struggled with in north London. He was part of the Spurs matchday squad in their first two Premier League matches against Burnley and Manchester City, but Thomas Frank did hand him his debut.

On the contrary, Vuskovic has started in four of the five Bundesliga matches he was involved in for Hamburger and has even opened his account in the German league with a goal against Heidenheim in their 2-1 win. His progress will certainly leave the Spurs hierarchy relieved and there have been rumours that the youngster could head home in the January window. The Premier League side indeed have a clause in the loan deal, where they can call the defender back, midway into the season, but for that they need several injury concerns in their squad. 

Speaking to Transfermarkt, Hamburger sporting director Claus Costa is not worried over Vuskovic's future, as he said: "We had very constructive discussions with Tottenham; they’re a top-professional club, judging by the communication with loan manager Andy Scoulding. They’re closely monitoring the player, which shows how they assess Luka. Tottenham isn’t interested in weakening us or ruining the loan. 

"It’s understandable that they’re trying to protect themselves against possible worst-case scenarios. Otherwise, I don’t want to comment further. “I believe Tottenham also knows how good the situation here is for Luka. That’s why I hope we never get into a situation where we have to think about anything else."

Last season, Vuskovic had claimed that he couldn't wait to play for the Spurs in the 2025-26 campaign, however, for now, he will have to perform consistently and impress Frank before coming back to his parent club. Speaking to L'Avenir in April this year, the centre-back had said: "I think it's possible, even though there are already world-class players there, like Van de Ven or Romero. I want to move forward step by step: finish the season well in Westerlo, then make my place in Tottenham. Then we'll see what the future holds. I feel more and more confident match after match. My style of play? I am a strong defender, who still needs to improve aggressiveness in one-to-one situations. I work a lot with a personal coach, who focuses on my speed and explosiveness. But defending is not the thing I prefer in football. I also like to attack and score goals. I scored twice from the halfway line with Hajduk Split. I've always scored goals in my career, and I love that too much. I intend to remain a defender, but I like to score on a corner or free kick."

Under new manager Frank, who replaced Ange Postecoglou in the summer, Spurs have made a strong start as they have lost just one game in their first seven outings and are currently placed third on the points table. Spurs will be back in action after the international break on October 19 as they host Aston Villa in a key Premier League battle. Their last game before the break was against Leeds United, where they won the clash 2-1.