For Tottenham Hotspur, the loan pathway has not always been successful for them.
Just check out Harry Kane’s career. Now one of the greatest strikers we have ever seen in football, he didn’t exactly flourish during four temporary stints in the EFL.
Indeed, he scored just 16 goals in 65 matches while playing for Leyton Orient, Millwall, Norwich and Leicester.
It was a similar story for Troy Parrott, who perhaps rather eerily also scored 16 goals during his time on loan at Ipswich, MK Dons and Preston. He did, however, play 99 games.
Both players have since become two of the most feared strikers in Europe.
Whether or not you think their loans played a successful part in their careers, Luka Vuskovic‘s time in Germany was certainly game-changing for him.
How Vuskovic became a star out on loan
Aged 16, Spurs signed Vuskovic from Hajduk Split in the summer of 2023. It was a large fee given his age, but considering the price tag they sold him for in the summer, it was well worth the investment.
Regularly celebrated as one of the best young defenders in the world, unlike Kane and Parrott, Vuskovic seized his opportunity for regular football away from Spurs.
It was in Belgium with KVC Westerlo where the centre-back first became a star. He was a goal machine, scoring seven goals in 36 outings during the 2024/25 season.
The Croatian headed to Hamburg and Germany next. His time in the Bundesliga was a roaring success.
Vuskovic spent the 2025/26 season in that part of the world and was among the goals again, scoring six times for the German side. It wasn’t just his ability to pop up in the box that caught the eye.
Indeed, this is one of the fiercest duel winners in European football. Only one player – Denis Vavro of Wolfsburg – registered more defensive contributions per 90 minutes with 13.3 per 90 minutes than Vuskovic in the Bundesliga. The former Spurs man registered as many as 12.5.
He was a monster in the air. During a game versus Union Berlin in September 2025, he won 18 aerial duels. For context, no player has won more aerial duels in a Bundesliga game across the last ten seasons.
In Germany, the 19-year-old blossomed into one of the best teenagers in Europe. It’s a pity they got rid of him in the summer.
Why Vuskovic left Spurs
Roberto De Zerbi’s mission this summer was to sign Premier League proven players.
He oversaw a large rebuild of the defence with Andy Robertson and Marcos Senesi joining on free transfers from Liverpool and Bournemouth respectively.
Spurs went bigger by welcoming £52m Jan Paul van Hecke to the club from Brighton. That appeared to be the catalyst for Vuskovic to take his leave.
Two centre-backs had already signed and he knew, despite the impending exit of Cristian Romero, that for him to achieve regular minutes, he needed to leave.
The Croat was not just happy with another loan. He was keen to seek a permanent departure and with the Lilywhites looking to build their piggy bank, they were happy to oblige.
|
Permanent departures from Spurs – summer 2026 |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Player |
New Club |
Fee |
|
Luka Vuskovic |
Brighton |
£50m |
|
Cristian Romero |
Atletico Madrid |
£34m |
|
Djed Spence |
Inter |
£25.6m |
|
Will Lankshear |
Middlesbrough |
£10m |
|
Alejo Veliz |
EC Bahia |
£8m |
|
Alfie Devine |
Preston North End |
£6m |
|
Tynan Thompson |
Manchester United |
£4m |
In July, he completed a move to Brighton for a fee of £50m. At the moment, it looks like the Seagulls have got the better end of the deal.
Another Spurs starlet is shining out on loan
During an impressive summer of incomings for Tottenham, they also got rid of a fair few players.
First team members currently out on loan include Mikey Moore, Kevin Danso, and Pape Matar Sarr. From the U21s, the likes of Jamie Donley, Mason Melia and George Abbott are hoping to make an impact in the EFL.
20-year-old Oliver Irow is also looking to make an impact and boy, is he dazzling onlookers already.
Irow is unknown to many fans at Spurs. He has never played a first-team game for Tottenham and his record at youth level is not jaw-dropping.
The attacker has scored 15 goals in 40 games for the U21s, registering just two assists in the process. Yet, currently on loan at Plymouth Argyle in League One, he’s beginning to explode just as Vuskvovic did during his loan stints.
Irow has made an immediate impact in Devon, scoring three times in seven league outings, while also contributing a goal in the Carabao Cup, taking his tally to four goals in his first nine appearances.
It’s an impressive record, one made all the more eye-catching by the fact that he’s not playing as a striker.
No, Irow has been playing solely as a left winger, and that’s noteworthy for several reasons. While we’re not for one moment suggesting that the youngster can go on to emulate Heung-min Son, De Zerbi and his predecessors last season have struggled to replace him.
Mathys Tel is currently goalless this season while Wilson Odobert and Xavi Simons are on the sidelines after both tearing their ACLs. New signing Omar Marmoush is without a goal involvement this season too and his future should be as a striker.
So, if Irow continues to impress as Vuskovic did in Germany, perhaps there could be a first-team role for him next season.
Replicating your performances at youth team level in senior football is never easy but the young winger looks like he’s more than capable of performing against elder players. He’s certainly one to watch for De Zerbi.