Alasdair Gold has weighed in on reports suggesting that Luka Vuskovic could leave Tottenham Hotspur without playing a single game for the club.
Marcos Senesi is expected to follow Andy Robertson through the door as a free agent at Tottenham this summer, and the Argentine is not expected to be the only centre-back to arrive at N17.
Spurs are expecting their third offer for Jan Paul Van Hecke to be accepted after their opening two bids were turned down by Brighton.
Some have suggested that Van Hecke’s arrival could mean that Vuskovic is loaned out again, but another outcome has also been floated for the Croat.
However, in a major twist, Brighton have now submitted a £30m bid to try and sign Vuskovic themselves, and have even agreed on personal terms with the Tottenham starlet.
Alasdair Gold says Tottenham will be ‘absolutely insane’ to sell Luka Vuskovic
Over recent days, some outlets have suggested that Vuskovic is open to leaving Spurs for a bigger club this summer on the back of his oustanding performances on loan at HSV.
However, Gold believes that Tottenham would be stupid to even consider cashing in on the 19-year-old, given that the centre-back could evolve into one of the best in the world.
Speaking before the Brighton bid on his YouTube channel, the journalist said: “Everyone I’ve spoken to said Vuskovic has got way higher ceiling than van Hecke.
“Van Hecke is a very good Premier League player, but Vuskovic can be, in the words of Thomas Frank, a top, top, top player in world football, and I know there are some suggestions that Spurs, you know, maybe would accept a bid for him this summer. That would be insane! That would be absolutely insane!
“You don’t sign a player of that much talent, and then everyone else sees that talent, wants to sign him, and then you go, ‘yeah, we don’t need him’. Yes, you do need him, whether it is now or in the future; you need potentially world-class players, and that is what people are saying about Vuskovic. He will reach that level, so no way on earth that would be the stupidest transfer.”
Would selling Vuskovic now make sense for Spurs?
Tottenham CEO Vinai Venkatesham has admitted that Spurs have to become better at selling players if they want to build a squad capable of competing for major honours.
That would involve some tough decisions, and with some clubs allegedly willing to pay £52m for Vuskovic this summer, it may be tempting for the Lilywhites to cash in.
While there is no question about the teenager’s potential, there is no guarantee he will be able to fulfil his potential at the highest level.
It is not out of the question that Vuskovic’s value can drop by half by next summer if he struggles for game time at Tottenham or fails to meet expectations on loan next season.