Liverpool and Barcelona are leading the race to sign Brighton defender Luka Vuskovic, with the 19-year-old impressing in his first Premier League appearances. The Croatia international joined the Seagulls from Tottenham last summer in a £50million deal and has made a strong start at the Amex Stadium.
Vuskovic's impressive start at Brighton
Vuskovic has made eight Premier League appearances since arriving, keeping clean sheets in victories against Arsenal, Crystal Palace, Sunderland and Aston Villa. His performances under manager Fabian Hurzeler have attracted attention from several major European clubs.
At Anfield on Saturday, Liverpool's defensive display featured new arrivals Jeremy Jacquet and Ronald Araujo, alongside 35-year-old Virgil van Dijk. That has led to speculation that Liverpool may look to sign Vuskovic despite having brought in two centre-backs in recent months.
Clubs tracking the defender
According to Teamtalk, Liverpool are the latest club to show serious interest in Vuskovic, joining Real Madrid and Barcelona. Barcelona have been linked for some time, while Liverpool and Real Madrid are relatively new admirers that have increased their efforts recently. Chelsea and Bayern Munich have also been monitoring his progress over the last few seasons.
The report adds that Vuskovic is open to a potential move to Bayern Munich, having proven his worth in the Bundesliga while on loan at Hamburg last season. However, having only joined Brighton ahead of the current campaign, it is unlikely any formal moves will be made in January, with interested parties having to wait until the summer.
Brighton's position and Tottenham's involvement
Brighton have no immediate plans to sell and are not under pressure to do so, with Vuskovic featuring regularly and under contract at the Amex Stadium until 2031. However, the interest from Liverpool, Bayern Munich, Barcelona, Real Madrid and Chelsea suggests he may not see out that five-year deal.
Tottenham could also be involved in any transfer battle, as his former club included a matching rights clause in the deal with Brighton. That gives them the opportunity to bring him back by paying a fee accepted by Brighton from a different team. Alternatively, Tottenham can accept his move to a major European club and receive 20 per cent of any profit made. For example, if he were to join Liverpool for £100m, Tottenham would receive £10m, a fifth of the £50m difference between his hypothetical value and what Spurs sold him for.
Tottenham have already made a significant profit on the teenager, having signed him from Hadjuk Split for just £12m, before selling him to Brighton for £50m and using that money to sign Jan Paul van Hecke.
