As much as Tottenham defender Luka Vuskovic means to his current Bundesliga club, it’s highly unlikely that Tottenham defender Luka Vuskovic will be remaining in Hamburg. Stefan Kuntz – Hamburger SV’s chief personnel executive – ruled out a longer stay for the 18-year-old in an interview published in the Wednesday print edition of Sport Bild.
Vuskovic has become an essential player for HSV head coach Merlin Polzin, starting and logging maximum minutes over the last five consecutive league fixtures. It was Vuskovic who finally helped his recently promoted team end their long Bundesliga goal-scoring drought.
The newly-capped Croatian international was one of the significant winners of the October Transfermarkt player updates, increasing his estimated market value from €12m to €18m. This happens to be the primary reason why Kuntz believes Vuskovic cannot be retained.
“No, I think that’s impossible,” Kuntz told Sport Bild when asked whether a permanent transfer beyond the current season was realistic. “Because next year, after his time at HSV, he will be even more expensive than before the current season. That’s assuming Tottenham even want to sell him.”
Kuntz’s appraisal of the current situation notwithstanding, it could be the case that Hamburg and Tottenham do negotiate a permanent purchase provided that Tottenham secure either a buyback or high re-sale clause. Such arrangements are not uncommon.
