Luka Vuskovic isn’t looking to ride the bench in north London. The 19-year-old Croatian center-back has reportedly made it clear he’d rather move on than watch Jan Paul van Hecke and Marcos Senesi start ahead of him at Tottenham. That’s opened the door for Brighton, but Manchester United and Liverpool are now lurking in the background.
Brighton already offered £30 million, then bumped it to £45 million. Tottenham said no both times. The asking price: £60 million. And here’s where it gets interesting. CaughtOffside reports that United and Liverpool have been ‘alerted’ to Vuskovic’s availability and could jump into what’s becoming a bidding war with the Seagulls.
The kid’s got serious momentum
Vuskovic spent last season on loan at Hamburg, where he looked every bit the part. Aggressive in the tackle, dominant in the air, and surprisingly productive in attack — six goals in 30 games from center-back. That’s not a fluke. That’s a guy who reads the game a step ahead.
United are being told internally it would be a missed opportunity to let him go to Brighton or Liverpool, especially with Harry Maguire’s long-term future uncertain. Liverpool’s interest makes even more sense when you consider they lost Ibrahima Konate on a free transfer and Virgil van Dijk is entering the final chapter of his career. They need a long-term fix at the back.
Now the caveat. The report feels a little like encouragement — like someone telling both clubs they should be in on this deal — rather than confirmation that active negotiations are happening. TEAMtalk reported Saturday that Brighton are still confident they can land Vuskovic even after the second bid got rejected. So it’s not over yet, but it’s getting messier by the day.
United have other center-back options too. Micky van de Ven, Vuskovic’s teammate at Spurs, is on the list. So are RB Leipzig’s Castello Lukeba and Nottingham Forest’s Murillo. But Vuskovic’s age (19), his physicality, and his goal-scoring numbers make him a unique piece for any team building for the future.
For now, Brighton are the frontrunners. They’ve already agreed personal terms. They’ve put two bids on the table. But if United or Liverpool really decide to push — and if Vuskovic forces the issue — this could turn into a three-way fight Tottenham didn’t want and Brighton probably can’t win.
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