Tottenham just birthed £12m monster and transfer talk must end - opinion

Tottenham Hotspur beat League One opposition Reading 2-0 at the Select Car Leasing Stadium in pre-season action on Saturday afternoon and the headlines were made by new signing Luke Vuskovic.

Spurs actually completed a deal to sign the defender in September 2023 with the player just 16 years old. However, it was agreed that he would continue his development at Hadjuk Split with loan spells coming at Polish side Radomiak and Belgian outfit Westerlo.

The £12 million deal eventually saw Vuskovic arrive at Tottenham Hotspur this summer. Still just a teenager at 18 years old, it remains to be seen whether or not the defender is immediately part of Thomas Frank’s first team plans.

Vuskovic impresses in first Tottenham Hotspur outing

If his outing against Reading is anything to go by, then he certainly should be. Vuskovic was part of the second half XI for Spurs in Berkshire and took just minutes to make an impact.

Standing at 6’ 4”, the centre-back cuts an imposing figure. In the 49th minute, Vuskovic got his head on a Mohammed Kudus corner and rifled a pass onto the noggin of teammate Will Lankshear, who couldn’t miss. No Reading player could get near the defender, who looked about three foot taller than anyone else on the pitch, boasting a physical presence far past his years.

Having celebrated that assist as if he had scored, Vuskoic didn’t need to wait long to get himself on the scoresheet. Striding into the box after waiting up top following a set play, Kudus stroked the ball into his path and the defender lashed home with confidence, as if he were a centre-forward. You’d think the teenager had scored a hundred goals in his career.

There was plenty to be impressed about in the new signing’s defensive work too. The centre-back was in the right place at the right time to get a vital block on a Reading shot and stop it crossing the line, as well as looking composed when pinging the ball around the back. It was quite the first outing and perhaps the birth of a defensive monster.

Spurs must keep defender in London

As a result, transfer talk around a potential loan for the defender must end. Football.London had reported earlier this summer that the club could look to loan out the 18-year-old to get more experience, but that was before he showed at the weekend that he is ready right now.

With Ashley Phillips returning from loan and Kota Takai arriving, Spurs are well stocked for young centre-back options. Spurs Web reports that there are seven recognised centre-backs at the club and that, as a result, the club are working out who to keep and who to loan this season with several European suitors interested in Vuskovic.

Even if Vuskovic’s remarkable outing against Reading was a one off, he has already cemented himself as a new fan favourite. With that backing from supporters and trust from Thomas Frank, it’s surely an exciting season ahead for the defender. Following his Select Car Leasing Stadium heroics, the loan talk must stop.

In other news, Tottenham Second Half Player Ratings: 'Beast' 10/10 and 8 is 'one to watch' v Reading.