Manager Makes Public Plea for ‘Impossible’ Tottenham Transfer

The Bundesliga star in question has already expressed a willingness to fulfil these wishes.

Luka Vušković has excelled on loan in Germany. | Ulrik Pedersen/NurPhoto/Getty Images.

Hamburg manager Merlin Polzin has expressed his desire to extend the loan deal of impressive Tottenham Hotspur teenager Luka Vušković.

The 18-year-old joined the German side last summer and has since become instrumental to HSV’s survival bid. Starting all but two of their league matches, the talented central defender has scored four goals and won the Bundesliga Rookie of the Month on three separate occasions.

Despite acknowledging the difficulty of retaining Vušković on loan for the 2026–27 season, Polzin made a public plea to keep the Croatian for another term.

“I’m a man of conviction. Of course, I also believe in things that seem impossible, even if they’re just a bit romantic about football,” the Hamburg manager said, as reported by Bild. “Nevertheless, there’s a clear contractual agreement between the clubs.

“We’re very grateful that we found a solution last summer. It was very clear from the start with Luka’s camp that he only wanted to join HSV. The communication with Tottenham is extremely professional, both last summer and now. We’d be very interested in him continuing to wear the HSV jersey.”

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Luka Vuskovic Hailed for Astonishing Ascent

A precocious youngster with heaps of promise. | Marc Carrena/Getty

Tottenham’s £12 million ($16.1 million) outlay on Vušković now appears an absolute steal. The youngster, who made his senior Croatia debut in June and should feature at the 2026 World Cup, has been a transformative figure for Hamburg.

Not only has Vušković been a defensive powerhouse for Die Rothosen, he’s proven extremely capable with the ball at his feet and a regular attacking provider from set pieces—his extraordinary scorpion kick in the 3–2 victory over Werder Bremen was even voted as the Bundesliga’s Goal of the Month for December.

“It’s not just about winning headers and tackles or scoring goals: he’s somebody who can organise a defence. That’s something you find very rarely,” Germany legend and Ballon d’Or winner Lothar Matthäus said of Vušković last month.

“At the age of 18, he plays as if he had already played three World Cups! Even when I was 30, I didn’t see what he saw at 18.”

Vušković was even named Bundesliga Player of the Season for the first half of the campaign, scooping 60% of the vote and beating the likes of Harry Kane, Luis Díaz and Michael Olise in the polls.

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How Luka Vuskovic’s Brother Could Influence Summer Decision

✨ And then there were 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐞. 🏆🏆🏆#nurderHSV pic.twitter.com/Ant8hvlqqK

— HSV English (@HSV_English) February 12, 2026

Spurs will almost certainly want Vušković to return to north London after his appearance at the World Cup, welcoming a much-needed warm body into a struggling side lacking depth in the heart of defence. That issue could be exacerbated by the potential exit of Cristian Romero over the summer.

However, Vušković has admitted he’s open to staying in the Bundesliga with HSV, insisting no final decision has been made on his short or long-term future.

“I don’t know what will happen; we’ll talk about that in the summer. Tottenham is also being talked about because I’m their player until 2030,” he told TPortal. "So, after my eventual appearance at the World Cup, we’ll see what we’ll do and how to proceed. As for me, I wouldn’t mind staying at HSV, in fact.”

Vušković’s brother, Mario, currently plays for Hamburg, but is serving a four-year doping ban which won’t be completed until November 2026. To play with his brother, the Tottenham loanee will have to extend his stay in Germany, something he’s opened up about previously.

“Mario should start playing in the fall, so I’d get the chance to play with him, which is my biggest wish at the moment. You know how football is, you never know what will happen.”

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