“A huge talent”: Niko Kovač full of praise for Hamburg’s defensive gem | OneFootball

He is one of the discoveries of this season. The just 18-year-old Luka Vušković is uncompromisingly cleaning up in the defense of Hamburger SV. But the young Croatian also stands out for his intelligent build-up play. BVB coach Niko Kovač (54) raves about the youngster.

Borussia Dortmund is also said to have an eye on the Tottenham Hotspur loanee. On Saturday (November 8, 3:30 p.m.), the black and yellow offense will get a chance to test themselves against the one-time national player. With a duel success rate of 71.5 percent, Vušković ranks third in the league, behind Amos Pieper (27/Werder Bremen) with 76 percent and Cologne’s Dominique Heintz (32), who boasts 72.4 percent won duels. For comparison: the best Dortmund defender is Aarón Anselmino (20) with 59.4 percent, followed by Waldemar Anton (29), who comes in at 58.5 percent.

“A huge talent, he already was during his youth at Hajduk Split,” Kovač enthused on Friday at the press conference ahead of the HSV match. Last summer, Spurs signed the defensive jewel and immediately loaned him out to the Bundesliga returnees. Vušković made a good move to England to Tottenham, praised the BVB coach of the 18-year-old’s transfer to the Premier League. The Londoners put eleven million euros on the table for the new signing.

On the verge of a great career

“Sooner or later,” Vušković “will certainly become an important part of the Croatian national team,” predicts the former national coach of the Vatreni. The HSV pro made his debut for the national team in June 2025, when he was substituted in shortly before the end in the 5-1 World Cup qualifying win against the Czech Republic. He also has 26 appearances in various youth national teams of the Southeast Europeans. He is currently captain of his country’s U21 team.

Since the second matchday, Vušković has been a regular starter at HSV. He hasn’t missed a single minute in any competitive match since. He has also already made it onto the scoresheet, scoring in the 2-1 win against 1. FC Heidenheim.

For now, however, one wish remains unfulfilled for Luka: to play for HSV alongside his brother Mario (23). Until June 2025, the more than five-year-older Vušković was also under contract in Hamburg. However, due to a doping ban until November 2026, his contract with the former Bundesliga giant is currently suspended. Whether Luka will still play for the northern Germans after the ban expires is rather questionable, given his strong performances.

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