Tottenham Profits from Vuskovic Sale: A Smart Move
Tottenham Hotspur have banked a sizeable profit and kept a firm grip on the future of Luka Vuskovic after agreeing a £50million package with Brighton for the highly rated centre-back.
Spurs signed the Croatian for around £12m in 2023, viewing him as one of the most gifted young defenders in Europe. Now, barely a year on, they have turned that outlay into a major windfall while refusing to cut the cord completely.
The key? Clauses. Smart ones.
A reluctant sale, a ruthless structure
Vuskovic made it clear several weeks ago that he wanted out of North London. Tottenham still saw him as a potential cornerstone of their defence for years to come, but once a 19-year-old talent pushes for the exit, the club’s only leverage is how they sell, not if they sell.
According to former Everton chief executive Keith Wyness, speaking to Football Insider, Spurs have done exactly what top clubs should do in that situation: protect the upside.
They have inserted a 20 per cent sell-on clause into the deal and, crucially, a matching clause that gives them the automatic right to match any future bid Brighton receive for the defender. If Vuskovic explodes at the Amex and Europe’s elite start circling, Tottenham can simply step back into the conversation.
Wyness described it as a “very good deal” and a “smart move” from Spurs, pointing out that while buying him back later would not be cheap, they would be paying for a finished article with several seasons of top-level experience behind him.
For now, though, the profit is real and immediate. From £12m in 2023 to a £50m package in 2024, Tottenham have turned a teenager who never established himself in their first team into serious financial firepower.
Brighton’s gamble, Tottenham’s opportunity
Brighton are expected to throw Vuskovic straight into the deep end. His loan spell at Hamburg last season drew admiring glances from scouts across Europe, and the south-coast club have never been shy about backing their judgement on young talent.
For Spurs, his departure is not just an accounting victory. The money matters on the pitch.
Wyness believes the funds raised will go straight back into Ange Postecoglou’s squad as Tottenham look to add experience and depth before next season. The club can pivot towards ready-made contributors while still keeping a line back to a player they once believed would anchor their defence.
“They’ve gone with experience,” Wyness noted, highlighting how the structure of the deal allows Spurs to strengthen now without completely surrendering their long-term interest in Vuskovic.
From the player’s point of view, the move offers exactly what he wanted: minutes. Brighton’s track record with emerging talent makes the Amex an attractive stage for a 19-year-old who wants to play, not wait.
“He is the right player at the right club,” Wyness said, summing up a transfer that, on paper, suits everyone involved.
Forest circle Bergvall as Spurs face another test
While Vuskovic heads for the south coast, another Spurs prodigy is at the centre of growing interest.
Nottingham Forest are pushing hard to land Lucas Bergvall, with former Manchester United chief scout Mick Brown revealing to Football Insider that the club are working to “convince” the Swedish midfielder to join them this summer.
Bergvall has already jolted Tottenham by making clear his desire to leave earlier in the window. Forest see him as a potential replacement for Elliot Anderson and believe they have a genuine chance of getting a deal over the line.
Tottenham do not want to lose the teenager. They are reluctant sellers and would prefer to integrate him into their plans for next season. But as with Vuskovic, the player’s will may prove decisive if he and his camp push hard enough.
Brown says Forest are “working hard” and are quietly optimistic. Spurs, fresh from one high-value exit, now face another battle to keep hold of a young talent they once saw as part of their future.
They’ve shown with Vuskovic they can turn a tricky situation into a powerful piece of business. The question now is whether they can keep Bergvall at all – or, if they cannot, whether they can be just as ruthless, and just as smart, a second time.
