It’s been another poor season for Tottenham Hotspur so far this year.
Ange Postecoglou’s side have fought their way to a League Cup semi-final and still have a chance in the Europa League, but as things stand, they find themselves down in 11th place in the Premier League.
Now, the North Londoners have scored the second-most goals in the league so far this year, but it’s their dire defence and mountain of injuries that has cost them.
In particular, January signing Radu Dragusin has been particularly poor, so it’s good news that the club already has an incredibly exciting young defender who could replace him next season, a young defender who currently has more league goals than Son Heung-min and Dejan Kulusevski.
Tottenham's dreadful defence
So, as we’re sure any Spurs fan will sadly attest this season, their most significant problem has been, and still is, their defence.
Postecoglou’s side are more than capable of scoring against practically any team in the league, but the reverse is also true.
With 19 league games played, the North Londoners have already conceded 28 goals and, according to FBref, have an expected goals allowed figure of 31.2, which is the fifth worst in the competition.
Now, while the manager’s determination to play incredibly aggressive football certainly contributes to these damning statistics, the team has not been helped by a slew of injuries to their first-choice backline, injuries that have seen Dragusin play more minutes than fans would have expected.
The Romanian international has shown glimpses of quality this season, but more often than not, and especially of late, he’s been a problem for the club.
For example, he’s currently averaging just 1.30 points per game, received a 4/10 match rating from Alasdair Gold for his performance against Liverpool, and was so poor against Ipswich Town that journalist and fan Mitch Fretton described his performance as an “absolute horror show.”
In all, Spurs need a new backup centre-back if they are going to progress next season, and the good news is that they will have one.
Spurs' unreal Dragusin upgrade
So, to get straight to the point, the player in question is Croatian prospect Luka Vušković.
The tremendously exciting teenager agreed to join the Lilywhites in September 2023 but won’t officially join up with the club until the summer due to regulations introduced after Brexit concerning the registration of foreign players under 18.
However, even though he can’t impact the club’s current form, fans should be incredibly excited about what he could do going forward and in defence next season.
We can see his defensive qualities through his FBref scout report, as it ranks the 18-year-old in the top 4% of centre-backs in the next best 14 competitions for clearances, the top 7% for ball recoveries, the top 9% for aerial duels won and the top 24% for shots blocked, all per 90.
In contrast, Dragusin’s two best defensive statistics in his FBref scout report for Europe’s top five leagues see him sit in the top 16% for shots blocked and the top 22% for blocks overall, all per 90.
It’s not just his ability at the back that makes the Split-born dynamo such a “freak” talent, as dubbed by analyst Ben Mattinson, though, it’s also his ability in front of goal.
For example, in just 20 league appearances this season, the 6 foot 4 titan has scored six goals and provided one assist, meaning he’s currently averaging a goal involvement every 2.85 games, which is frankly absurd for a centre-back.
Appearances
20
16
19
Goals
6
5
5
Assists
1
6
4
Goal Involvements per Match
0.35
0.68
0.47
Moreover, this means he currently has more league goals to his name than Son and Kulusevski, who are on five a piece.
Ultimately, while he’s not the answer this season, Vuskovic certainly looks like he could be the perfect Dragusin upgrade next season to help make Spurs’ defence far more robust.
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