To put it mildly, this season has not gone well for Tottenham Hotspur.
In fact, unless Ange Postecoglou can mastermind a European miracle over the next month or so, it looks set to be the club’s worst in several generations.
However, while the form and performance of the squad have been far from ideal, they have had to deal with an absurd number of injuries, specifically in defence.
So, it’s not surprising that the North Londoners have been linked with several brilliant defenders, such as Marc Guéhi, over the last few months, although they may already have their own version of the Englishman out on loan.
Why Spurs would want Marc Guéhi
On transfer deadline day earlier this year, Spurs reportedly made a shock £70m bid for the Crystal Palace star.
While the South Londoners turned it down due to their inability to find a replacement in time, it indicated that the Lilywhites were serious about their interest.
In fact, due to the massive sum offered to the Eagles, Spurs writer John Wenham later claimed he expects the club to return with another offer in the summer when it’ll be easier for Palace to replace him.
In The Pipeline
Football FanCast’s In the Pipeline series aims to uncover the very best youth players in world football.
It’s not hard to see why the North Londoners are so interested in the former Chelsea star either, as on top of simply providing more cover at the back, he’s also got an abundance of top-level experience.
For example, even though he’s still just 24 years old, the 6 foot monster has already racked up 212 first-team appearances across his career, with 151 of those coming for Palace, 59 with Swansea City and two with the Blues.
Moreover, he has 23 senior England caps to his name and was arguably one of the Three Lions’ top performers at the European Championships last year.
However, even if he costs less than £70m, he’s still going to cost a lot of money, which could go elsewhere if the club promotes one of their own up-and-coming talents, who also happens to be a tremendously exciting non-nonsense centre-back.
Spurs' answer to Guéhi
It’s evident that Spurs are in the market for a new centre-back this summer with links to Dean Huijsen also surfacing in recent weeks. However, they could forget about him and Guehi with the player we want to discuss here.
For those of you familiar with the Spurs youngsters out on loan, it’ll probably come as no surprise that the player in question is the incredibly promising Luka Vušković.
The Croatian wonderkid signed for the Lilywhites back in September 2023, but as he was still 16 years old at the time, post-Brexit rules meant he couldn’t yet join up with the club.
Instead, he’s spent the last year and a half on loan, with this season seeing him join Belgian outfit KVC Waterloo, where he has been sensational.
So, starting with the defensive side of his game, as that’s what matters most after all, and his statistics make for pretty reading.
For example, according to FOTmob, he sits in the top 5.7% of centre-backs in the league for aerial duels won, the top 6.9% for recoveries, the top 8% for blocks and the top 16.1% for percentage of duels won, all per 90.
Appearances
32
Minutes
2743′
Goals
7
Assists
2
Goal Involvements per Match
0.28
Minutes per Goal Involvements
304.77′
However, what really makes the “freak talent,” as dubbed by analyst Ben Mattinson, stand out is his attacking ability.
For example, in just 32 appearances, totalling 2743 minutes, the 6 foot 5 “monster,” as dubbed by Mattinson, has scored seven goals and provided two assists.
That means the 18-year-old is currently averaging a goal involvement every 3.55 games or every 304.77 minutes from centre-back.
Ultimately, Spurs may need a new defender this summer, but with how well Vušković is playing, they may not need to break the bank on someone like Guéhi.
He could be better than Iraola: 4-2-3-1 "genius" being eyed for Spurs job
The experienced manager would bring the entertainment factor back to Spurs.
ByJack Salveson HolmesApr 24, 2025
