Vuskovic: The One ‘Weakness’ Brighton’s Record Signing Is Working On
When Brighton smashed their transfer record to bring Vuskovic to the Amex this summer, they were buying one of European football’s most coveted teenage defenders. Now the man who watched him grow up in the Bundesliga has pinpointed the single area the Croatian is still trying to sharpen – and reassured Albion supporters it barely shows on a matchday.
Luka Vuskovic arrived from Tottenham Hotspur on 14 July in a deal worth an initial £46 million, potentially rising to £50 million through add-ons, making him the most expensive signing in the club’s history. At 18, he lands with a reputation forged not in north London – where he never featured in the Premier League – but on loan in Germany, and one German journalist has been watching every step.
What Vuskovic still needs to work on
Henrik Jacobs of Hamburger Abendblatt, who has covered Hamburger SV for 12 years, was asked to identify the one flaw in an otherwise glowing profile. His answer was simple. “The only area that isn’t at the same level as the rest of his game is his speed,” Jacobs said. “He’s not the quickest defender, and he’s spoken himself about working on that.”
Crucially, though, the reporter insists it is a footnote rather than a flaw that opponents can exploit. “Because his positioning and football intelligence are so good, you rarely notice it during matches,” he added – a line that will comfort anyone worried about a teenager anchoring Fabian Hurzeler’s back line in the Premier League.
Why Brighton are not worried
If pace is the question mark, Vuskovic’s temperament is the reassurance. Jacobs pointed to a season at Hamburg in which the youngster carried a remarkable burden for one so young. “At Hamburg, so much responsibility was on his shoulders despite him only being 18,” he said. “When he was injured, the team really struggled without him. Everyone was waiting for him to come back because all the hope was on Luka. That season helped develop his personality enormously.”
There were early nerves – “a difficult debut against Bayern Munich” – but Jacobs said the response told him everything. “From that moment on, everything he did worked. He has so many different qualities. Technically, he’s brilliant for a defender.”
Vuskovic’s path to the Amex has been an unusual one. Spurs agreed to sign him from Hajduk Split two years before he officially joined in 2025, then sent him straight to Hamburg to develop. His arrival on the south coast followed the summer departure of Jan Paul van Hecke, who moved in the opposite direction to Tottenham.
A record signing with room to grow
For all the money and the billing, the most encouraging part of Jacobs’ verdict is that Vuskovic is still improving. A defender who already reads the game like a veteran, is composed under pressure and is actively working on his one shortcoming is exactly the profile Brighton have built their recruitment around. If the speed follows the smarts, the Seagulls may have landed a bargain at a club-record price.
