It may have been the last match for Luka Vuskovic in front of the home fans at Hamburg, because even though the had stated his desire to play one more year in the Bundesliga with his brother, the Croatian sensation's star has grown to the point where another year on loan for the German giants turned underdogs is now unlikely. And so in 2026/27, Tottenham Hotspur will be doing their darndest to make sure Vuskovic is their first team player and not a new star for Barcelona, Bayern Munich, or another elite club.
Vuskovic's star only seems to rise with each passing month, and he added another high point to his resume in Hamburg's 3-2 upset win over European contenders Freiburg to make his home finale one worth celebrating.
Not only did Vuskovic score a brilliant, low driven free kick that proved to be the winner for Hamburg in this 3-2 affair, but he also played another amazing all around game. His intelligence defensively is beyond what any teenage center back has been capable of – maybe even in our entire lifetimes. Vuskovic did not even have to make a single tackle in this win, recording five interceptions and 11 clearances in another defensive monsterclass that had shades of Paolo Maldini.
Luka Vuskovic has earned so many superlatives
The superlatives almost seem grotesque at this point and unebelievable to those not familiar with Luka Vuskovic's work in the Bundesliga, but all you had to do was listen to the way the Hamburg crowd chanted his name as he came off the pitch in the final minutes to soak up a well deserved ovation to understand the sheer magnitude of impact he had in his first season as a senior player.
As the clock winds down for Cristian Romero and his future hangs in the balance for a second straight summer transfer window, Vuskovic's masterful performance in all respects (defense, passing, and even scoring) for Hamburg vs. Freiburg served as a massive statement of intent at the captain.
Vuskovic is coming for Romero's spot. If you compare the two center backs this season, it is the younger one who has been the much better player in all aspects. And even though Romero wears the armband for his team, Vuskovic has meant more to Hamburg than Romero to Tottenham, as the latter has been a flop in his season as captain in taking over from Son Heung-min. If the choice has to come down to paying and playing one of the two, Vuskovic did a great job of showing to Spurs why it should be him.
This article was originally published on www.hotspurhq.com as Luka Vuskovic sent a deafening message to Cristian Romero.
