Tottenham Sells Luka Vuskovic to Brighton with Buy-Back Option

Tottenham Hotspur have banked a sizeable profit and kept a firm hand on the future of Luka Vuskovic, striking what has been described as a “very good deal” with Brighton for the highly rated centre-back.

The 19-year-old, who dazzled on loan at Hamburg last season and has been widely tipped as a future defensive star, made it clear several weeks ago that he wanted out of North London. Spurs, who once viewed him as a long-term pillar of their back line, have chosen to sell – but not to sever ties.

Brighton are paying a £50million package for the Croatian, a huge jump from the £12m Tottenham laid out in 2023. Former Everton chief executive Keith Wyness, speaking on Football Insider’s Inside Track podcast, believes Spurs have played this one shrewdly.

They have not just sold. They have set a trapdoor back into the deal.

A 20 per cent sell-on clause sits in the agreement, protecting Tottenham if Brighton flip Vuskovic for a bigger fee. More importantly, Wyness revealed that Spurs have also secured matching rights – a clause that gives them the automatic option to match any future bid for the defender.

If Vuskovic becomes what many inside the game think he will, Tottenham can step back in. Not for potential this time, but for the finished article.

“It’s a very good deal for Spurs right now,” Wyness said, noting both the “big profit” and the structure that keeps them involved in the player’s trajectory.

The Scottish businessman, who now runs a consultancy advising elite clubs, stressed that buying him back would not come cheap if his development continues on its current path, yet the option itself has value. Spurs have effectively traded time and risk for money and flexibility.

In the short term, the money matters. The £50m package is expected to feed directly into Tottenham’s recruitment ahead of next season, with Wyness convinced the club will roll those funds into further additions. Spurs, he argued, have chosen experience for the present while still keeping a line to Vuskovic for the future.

For the player, the move to Brighton looks like a fast track rather than a sideways step. At the Amex, he is expected to be thrown straight into the Premier League deep end, with minutes and responsibility on offer in a side that has built a reputation for polishing young talent and selling high. “He is the right player at the right club,” Wyness said, framing the deal as a rare win for all sides: money and leverage for Spurs, opportunity for Vuskovic, and upside for Brighton.

Tottenham’s youth conundrum does not end with Vuskovic, though.

Forest push hard for Lucas Bergvall

On another front, Nottingham Forest are pushing to prise Lucas Bergvall away from Spurs this summer. Former Manchester United chief scout Mick Brown told Football Insider that Forest are “working hard” to convince the Swedish midfielder to join, with the club identifying him as a key target to replace Elliot Anderson.

Bergvall has already jolted Spurs by making clear his desire to leave earlier in the summer, a stance that sent a ripple of concern through North London. Tottenham do not want to lose him ahead of next season. They may have to deal with the possibility that, as with Vuskovic, player ambition and opportunity elsewhere could force their hand.

Forest, according to Brown, are quietly optimistic about getting a deal over the line. They see a creative, high-upside midfielder and a window before he fully breaks through at Spurs. Tottenham see a talent they would rather build around than cash in on.

One rising defender gone with a buy-back safety net. One gifted midfielder being courted aggressively, with no such protection in place yet.

Tottenham have banked big money and bought themselves options with Vuskovic. The next few weeks will show whether they can keep Bergvall – or whether another of their brightest prospects slips through their fingers.