The goalscoring Spurs defender making headlines in Germany

Luka Vuskovic stood on the advertising boards, arms outstretched, and lapped up the love from the Hamburg fans behind the goal.

The 18-year-old had just scored a crucial equaliser against Bayern Munich and he was determined to savour the moment.

His celebration was the image of a teenager brimming with confidence - and rightly so.

Tottenham loanee Vuskovic is enjoying a dream season at Hamburg and has been one of the breakthrough stars of this Bundesliga campaign.

While Spurs will hope to bring him back to London in the summer, his brilliant form has seen him linked with clubs across Europe, including Bayern Munich.

So how good is the Croatian defender, and where does his future lie?

Vuskovic was the man of the moment last weekend, his second-half header securing Hamburg an unlikely 2-2 draw and a first point against Bayern since 2014.

Yet it was his maturity in dealing with Harry Kane at the back that caught the eye.

"It's not just about winning headers and tackles or scoring goals: he's somebody who can organise a defence. That's something you find very rarely," Bayern legend Lothar Matthäus told Sky Sports Germany.

The 1990 World Cup winner was particularly impressed with a moment late in the first half, when Vuskovic's quick thinking trapped Kane offside and denied Bayern what would have been a 2-1 lead.

"He's 18 years old, but he's playing with the cool head of someone who has played at three World Cups and won two Champions League titles," said Matthäus.

Vuskovic is certainly playing beyond his years, though that is perhaps no surprise given his background.

The Croatian comes from a long line of footballers: his father, grandfather and great-grandfather were all defenders for Hajduk Split.

Vuskovic junior also came up through the ranks at Hajduk, where he caught Tottenham's eye as a 16-year-old.

The north London club agreed to sign him in September 2023, completing the move last summer.

He immediately went out on loan to promoted giants Hamburg, who returned to the Bundesliga this season after seven years in the second tier.

Their first year back has been a rollercoaster at times. Sporting director Stefan Kuntz left in December, while winger Jean-Luc Dompé was suspended for drink-driving last week.

Yet Vuskovic has been a ray of sunshine amid the off-field scandals, impressing both at the back and in front of goal.

His header against Bayern was his fourth goal of the season, and the 18-year-old has made a habit of scoring in key games.

In December, he scored Hamburg's second in a 3-2 derby win over Werder Bremen with a scorpion kick.

According to Opta, no player has won more of their aerial duels this season while only one has made more clearances.

Many are now touting him as a potential long-term successor to defender Dayot Upamecano at Bayern.

Though Upamecano is now expected to sign a contract extension beyond the summer, Munich newspaper TZ reported this week that Bayern are continuing to monitor Vuskovic.

On Tuesday, former Barcelona and Croatia star Ivan Rakitic urged Bayern to sign the teenager.

"I think he has to go to Bayern, but the whole of European football is talking about him at the moment, so they need to get a move on," Rakitic told Sky Sports Germany.

"I'm interested to see if Tottenham manage to keep him beyond the summer, because for me, he is already ready to make the next step to one of the absolute top clubs in Europe, and there are only four or five of those", he added.

Others are less sure. Legendary German commentator Marcel Reif said this week that he thought the 18-year-old was too young for a move to Munich.

"He would be overwhelmed at Bayern," Reif told German tabloid Bild.

Vuskovic insists he is in no hurry to make a decision.

"In football you never know what will happen. For now I am focused on HSV and next summer after the World Cup we will see," he said on Saturday.

If there is one thing which might keep him at Hamburg, it is the chance to play alongside his older brother Mario.

Five years his senior, Mario Vuskovic has been at Hamburg since 2021, but is currently serving a three-and-a-half-year ban after a positive doping test in 2022.

Though the player and the club have always protested his innocence, his ban has been upheld by multiple courts and is in place until November 2026.

The two brothers are very close: Luka has a picture of himself and Mario tattooed on his arm and currently wears his brother's number 44 shirt.

In January, he lost his temper during the Hamburg derby after St. Pauli fans held up banners mocking Mario's doping ban.

Even as top clubs circle, the 18-year-old has made no secret of his desire to play alongside his brother.

"It's my dream to play with Mario at HSV and I'll give everything for that," he said in an interview with the Hamburger Abendblatt newspaper in December.

"Tottenham know that, but I am their player and have a contract with them. We will decide when the moment is right."

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