Leicester City and Southampton will regret not striking loan agreement for Spurs hotshot | OneFootball

Luka Vuskovic has shone in the early stages of this season for Hamburg, leaving Championship clubs regretting not pursuing the Croatian more.

Luka Vuskovic has had a storming beginning to life in the German Bundesliga with Hamburger SV, which will leave numerous Championship clubs regretting not pursuing the Croatian defender with more conviction.

Spurs loanee Vuskovic is undoubtedly one of the hottest prospects in world football at this very moment.

Having agreed to join Spurs as a 16-year-old for £12 million from Hajduk Split, Vuskovic spent last season on loan in the Belgian Pro League with Westerlo, where he was an absolute revelation, scoring seven goals and grabbing two assists from centre-back.

He was awarded the 2024 Belgian Pro League goal of the season award for his strike against Club Brugge, and achieved an outstanding 9.8 rating, according to Sofascore, in Westerlo's 2-2 draw at home to Beerschot, with the Croatian youngster grabbing both of his side's goals in the match.

Now with Hamburg, Vuskovic has already grabbed a goal in their recent Bundesliga match against Heidenheim, and broke the record by becoming the first player to win 18 aerial duels in a single match in Europe's top 5 leagues over the last five seasons.

It's clear Spurs have a generational talent on their hands, and Championship clubs such as Leicester and Southampton must be regretting not making more of a move for the wonderkid.

There had been rumours in June 2025 that Vuskovic was set to join a Championship club on loan. However, a move to the English second tier never materialised, much to the dismay of Foxes and Saints fans.

Leicester City and Southampton will regret not striking a deal for Luka Vuskovic

Having suffered relegation from the Premier League last season, both Leicester and Southampton will, without a shadow of doubt, hold real ambitions of earning an immediate promotion back to England's top-flight.

Both clubs changed managers this summer ahead of the new campaign, with ex-QPR boss Marti Cifuentes taking over the reins at the Foxes, whilst ex-Lens boss Will Still earned his first managerial job in English football with the Saints.

Leicester have begun the better of the two sides, with the Foxes currently in the play-off mix in the Championship table with a handful of wins to their name, whilst Southampton have been slow out the blocks, and are yet to really flex their muscles on the second tier this term.

Both clubs underwent difficult summers in slightly different capacities though.

Leicester saw 11 players depart the club this summer, either on loan or permanently, and made just four signings, without spending a penny on transfer fees.

Southampton, on the other hand, saw 19 players leave the club this summer, either on loan or permanently, and brought in nine new players for over £50 million.

Despite this, it is the Saints who have struggled more, putting manager Still under some early pressure to deliver results sooner rather than later.

With Vuskovic capable of playing in a back three, he would have been a natural fit in Still's system at St Mary's, and they must regret not making a move for the younger sooner.

Leicester, meanwhile, have only used up three of their five available loan spots, meaning Vuskovic could've reinforced their back line with a loan switch to the King Power, where he would have offered serious competition to the likes of Wout Faes, Jannik Vestergaard and Caleb Okoli.

Leicester & Southampton have ambitions of immediate Premier League return, but will have to do it without Vuskovic

With both clubs having played Premier League football as early as last May, both Leicester and Southampton will be among the favourites for promotion this season.

However, the Championship is seemingly as unpredictable and competitive as ever, with Middlesbrough leading the pack in the early stages, whilst last season's play-off finalists, Sheffield United, are trying to escape from the foot of the table.

With the transfer window closed, and all business concluded, both sides will have to make do without Vuskovic, who is thriving in Germany in the early stages of this campaign.

If either Leicester or Southampton managed to get a deal for the Croatian over the line, their chances for promotion would almost certainly have been vastly increased.