Tottenham Hotspur are close to signing Luka Vukovic, but the deal is reportedly “two years away” from becoming official.
European soccer transfer market expert Fabrizio Romano wrote on social media on Monday (Nov. 11), “Tottenham are close to signing Croatian center back Vukovic. Five clubs wanted him, but he only wanted to join Tottenham. The personal agreement is complete and the clubs are finalizing the last details.” The signature line “Here We Go” was not left out.
Vukovic is a promising resource from Croatia. At just 16 years old, he’s already made his senior debut in his country’s league and is a complete physical specimen at 6-foot-3. He has impressed at a young age with his calm play and stability.
The arrival of the ‘super-sized’ center back has attracted the attention of many clubs. Liverpool, Chelsea, Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) were among the clubs pursuing the player, according to Nizar Kinsella of the British Evening Standard.
Vukovic’s choice was Tottenham, and the club was able to successfully finalize its rebuild this summer.
However, even if the deal is finalized, they will still have to wait two years for Vukovic to join them. “Tottenham have landed a promising 16-year-old center-back, but will have to wait two years to keep him,” according to English outlet Football London.
There’s a reason: Brexit. The outlet continued, “Vukovic will join Tottenham in 2025. Under FIFA rules, clubs in England are not allowed to sign players under the age of 18 now that Britain has left the European Union through Brexit,” as stated on the English Football Association (FA) website 토토사이트.
It wasn’t entirely out of the question, as ‘Football London’ reports that “With the Premier League (PL) unhappy with the rules, the FA made significant changes to the transfer market this summer. One of them is the High Contribution Elite Player (ESC). This is awarded to soccer players who have made a significant contribution to the sport in their respective countries. Based on this, if you have experience in international youth competitions, you can be considered an ESC and receive a work permit. Of course, each club has an allotted amount. Vuković has played for the Croatian national youth team and has also played in the UEFA Youth League. Therefore, if he qualifies as an ESC, the transfer could be completed before 2025.”