Liverpool and Real Madrid are keen on Luka Vuskovic, as per the latest transfer news. Spurs may soon regret selling the teenage defender to Brighton so early in his career.
Why Tottenham could regret the sale
Spurs made big changes at centre-back during the summer, and the youngest defender they moved on was Luka Vuskovic. Brighton paid up to £50m for the Croatian, a club record, and gave him a five-year deal. As reported by ESPN, Liverpool and Real Madrid are tracking his progress, and Brighton visit Anfield today.
He never played a match that counted for Spurs, as he spent last season on loan with Hamburg. There he played 30 games and scored six goals, which showed he was ready for first-team football. He was named in the Bundesliga Team of the Season at only 19 years old.
Romero left for Atletico Madrid, and Sunderland must buy Danso if they stay up after his loan. Marcos Senesi, Jan Paul van Hecke and Tosin Adarabioyo arrived, with Van Hecke costing a reported £52m from Brighton. Spurs sit 12th on nine points after eight league games, so the rebuild has started slowly. Vuskovic has helped Brighton reach third with 16 points from seven games, behind only Manchester City and Arsenal.
Vuskovic’s 2026/27 stats for Brighton so far, as per FOTMOB:
Competition Matches Clean sheets Defensive contributions Aerial duels won(%) Duels won(%)
Premier League 8 4 76 66.7% 59.3%
EFL Cup 1 0 6 66.7% 62.5%
Luka Vuskovic early impact at Brighton
Vuskovic played every minute of Brighton’s first three Premier League games, so head coach Fabian Hurzeler trusts him. Brighton have let in only five goals in seven games and kept a clean sheet in five of them. Four of those clean sheets came in a row, against Coventry, Arsenal, Sunderland and Crystal Palace. Vuskovic headed his first goal for the club against Leeds in gameweek three, earning a 1-1 draw. He nodded in a De Cuyper corner on 71 minutes, after Leeds led from the 15th. Brighton scored 15 goals in those four wins, so the defence often had leads to protect.
The only defeat was a 4-3 loss at Chelsea, and Brighton have let in just one goal since. Even so, three of those four clean sheets came against sides now in the bottom six. Arsenal were the exception, so the 3-0 win and clean sheet against them carry the most weight.
Hurzeler said the Premier League “will educate him”and reminded everyone that Vuskovic is still very young. Liverpool sit fifth with 12 points and one loss, a tougher test than Coventry or Sunderland. A clean sheet at Anfield today would add to the transfer talk around the teenager. Brighton then travel to Manchester City on 31 October, one of the two sides above them with 21 points.
Liverpool
What Spurs Can still do about it
Vuskovic made clear he wanted first-team minutes, which Spurs could not promise once their new centre-backs arrived. Spurs kept a reported 20 percent sell-on clause, meaning they would share in any gain from a future sale.
They also hold matching rights, so they must be told about any bid and can match it. However, it is not a buy-back clause, so Spurs can only act once another club makes an offer. If Luka Vuskovic ends up at Anfield or the Bernabeu, Spurs will have to explain why they let him go.