Real Madrid chase wonderkid defender before first appearance for parent club

Rusty Gorelick
  • 22 Feb 2026 19:30 GMT
  • 2 min read
Florentino Perez, Real Madrid, 2022
© IMAGO

Real Madrid’s intention to bolster its back line this summer is no secret, and they have turned their attention to an on-loan Bundesliga star who has yet to play for his parent club.

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Luka Vuskovic has become one of Europe’s most sought-after centre-backs this season. He signed for Tottenham Hotspur for €11m in a deal agreed in 2023, joined in the summer of 2025 after turning 18, and was loaned out to Hamburger SV in Germany.

Since then, he has doubled his Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) with commanding performances at the back, helping newly-promoted HSV sit seven points clear of the relegation play-off.

Real Madrid will try to get a deal done for the 18-year-old centre-back, with a bid north of €60 million being considered, as reported by SportsBoom.

Los Blancos continue youth pursuit in defence as Spurs fight to keep Vuskovic

Real Madrid brought now-23-year-old Raul Asencio into the first team after a season and a half with Real Madrid Castilla last year, and they signed 20-year-old centre-back Dean Huijsen for a €62.3 million in the summer transfer window.

The club also signed 22-year-old Alvaro Carreras as its new first-choice left back last summer.

At 18, Vuskovic would add to Los Blancos’ youth movement at the back.

STATS
Player image Luka Vuskovic
Luka Vuskovic

D (C)

Hamburg logo

Hamburg

Luka Vuskovic
Luka Vuskovic

D (C)

Hamburg

Hamburg

All Tournaments

2025/26

  • 21

    Games

  • 4

    Goals

  • 0

    Assists

Both Antonio Rudiger and David Alaba are set to see their contracts expire this summer, meaning the club needs more depth in the centre of defence.

But it will not be easy to tempt Spurs into selling their top young player, despite the fact Vuskovic has yet to play a competitive game for the club.

He played in friendlies against Reading, Wycombe, and Newcastle in the summer before sitting on the bench for Spurs’ first three competitive fixtures, but loaning him out has proven a smart choice as he can avoid the pressure that comes with playing for a high-profile club that is sitting in 16th place in the Premier League.

Tottenham view Vuskovic as unsellable, and his performances in Germany make it plain to see why.

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