Tottenham Hotspur have announced that they have agreed a deal to sign 16-year-old Croatian defender Luka Vuskovic from Hajduk Split in 2025.
The 2007-born centre-back will officially join Ange Postecoglou's team when he turns 18 in two years' time, and he has agreed a long-term contract with the club until the summer of 2030.
A product of the Hajduk Split academy, Vuskovic established a reputation as a goalscoring centre-back at Under-19 during the 2022-23 season, netting an impressive six goals in 14 matches in the Prva HNL - Juniori division.
The 6ft 4in centre-back also caught the eye of top European clubs with a string of stellar displays in the 2022-23 UEFA Youth League, making six appearances and scoring two goals en route to the final.
Vuskovic missed wins over Manchester City and Borussia Dortmund through suspension, but he returned to the backline for a 3-1 semi-final win over AC Milan before playing the full 90 in a 5-0 loss to AZ Alkmaar in the final.
While continuing to represent Hajduk Split at youth level, Vuskovic was deemed ready for his first-team debut on February 26 - only two days after his 16th birthday - starting in a 4-0 defeat to Dinamo Zagreb.
We are delighted to announce that we have reached agreement for Luka Vuskovic to join the Club in 2025 from Hajduk Split 🤍
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) September 25, 2023
Vuskovic would make a total of 11 first-team appearances during the 2022-23 season, scoring one goal against NK Osijek in a Croatian Cup quarter-final tie, thereby becoming their youngest-ever senior scorer in history.
Hajduk Split would go on to win the Croatian Cup last season - representing Vuskovic's first piece of major silverware - but he only came off the bench for the final minute of his side's 2-0 win over Sibenik in the final.
A muscular injury also hampered Vuskovic's development last season, and he is yet to make a single appearance for Hajduk Split this term, missing each of their last six matches following two outings as an unused substitute.
Nevertheless, the 16-year-old was thought to have attracted glances from Liverpool, Manchester City and Chelsea following his first-team breakthrough, but Spurs moved quickly to agree a deal with Hajduk Split.
The teenager is still waiting to earn his first cap for Croatia at senior level, but he has come up with one goal in five games for the Under-17s, scoring against Sweden in a Euros qualifier last October.
Vuskovic becomes the second teenage centre-back to commit their future to Tottenham this summer, following in the footsteps of Ashley Phillips after his switch from Blackburn Rovers.
Ben Knapton
