Brilliant, but with one flaw: German journalist on Vušković
Henrik Jacobs, who has been covering HSV for 12 years, praised the Croatian defender to The Argus, but also highlighted an area he needs to work on.
Henrik Jacobs, who has been covering HSV for 12 years, praised the Croatian defender to The Argus, but also highlighted an area he needs to work on.
Young Croatian international defender Luka Vušković (19) made the transfer of his career this summer. He moved from Tottenham to Brighton in a deal worth €54 million, a record outgoing transfer for the London club. With bonuses, the fee could rise to €58 million.
The former Hajduk jewel spent last season on loan at German side HSV, where he carried great responsibility at just 18 years old. His performances in the Bundesliga did not go unnoticed, and Henrik Jacobs, a journalist from Hamburger Abendblatt who has been covering HSV for a full 12 years, analyzed him for The Argus.
Jacobs highlighted how important Vušković was to the Hamburg team. "In Hamburg, he had great responsibility. When he was injured, the team struggled without him, and everyone was eagerly awaiting his return because they placed all their hopes in him," Jacobs told The Argus. He added that the young Croatian responded brilliantly after a somewhat difficult debut against Bayern, and from that moment on, everything went his way on the pitch.
The German journalist did not hold back in praising Vušković's qualities. He described him as an extremely intelligent footballer who is tactically well ahead of his years. "For a defender, he is technically superb. When he has the ball at his feet, he is practically a playmaker from the back line. His composure is incredible. Even against Bayern, he took on dribbles without any panic or rush," Jacobs emphasized.
Despite the lavish praise, Jacobs also revealed one aspect of the game where Vušković is not at the level of his other skills. "The only area that is not at the same level as the rest of his game is pace. He is not the fastest center-back, and he has openly said he is working on it," said the Hamburger Abendblatt journalist. However, he added that this shortcoming is rarely noticeable because his positioning and football intelligence are at an exceptionally high level.
Vušković is currently in pre-season training with Brighton in Austria. According to The Argus, he has already impressed the coaching staff in the first training sessions, especially in ball-carrying drills under pressure, confirming that the English club invested record money in him for good reason.
