Vuskovic successor wanted: HSV eye World Cup star | OneFootball

Despite the recent transfer push, HSV sporting director Claus Costa still has several issues to address this summer. One of them is central defense.

After top target Michael Svoboda recently moved to Brighton & Hove Albion — of all clubs, the very one where former HSV fan favorite Vuskovic is now also under contract — the Rothosen are now looking elsewhere for defensive reinforcements. Since Monday evening, a new name has been making the rounds online.

According to the Czech portal iSport, the online edition of the daily newspaper Sport, HSV is also among the clubs interested in Stepan Chaloupek. The center-back is currently under contract with Slavia Prague and is said to have attracted interest from several clubs across Europe. Alongside the Hanseatic side, Ipswich Town, Hull City, and several Serie A teams have also been mentioned. However, Benfica Lisbon are currently pushing hardest for the 23-year-old.

Photo: IMAGO

According to the report, the Portuguese club is already preparing official talks and is said to have offered around €12 million in transfer fees. Slavia Prague, however, are demanding significantly more and are hoping for a fee above the €16 million mark, including additional bonus payments. Accordingly, a departure for the defender this summer is considered possible, but by no means certain.

HSV likely have no real chance with Chaloupek

For HSV, a transfer would likely be difficult to pull off anyway. Chaloupek is still under contract in Prague until 2030. His market value is estimated at €10 million, and the competition is considerable.

The fact that Hamburg are still looking into him shows how ambitious the club’s decision-makers are in their search for a new defensive leader. Chaloupek played a key role in Slavia Prague’s title-winning campaign last season, scored a remarkable eight league goals as a center-back, and then earned a place in the Czech Republic’s World Cup squad. He was even in the starting lineup for the opening group-stage match against South Korea (1–2).

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.