Luka Vuskovic's new loan move and what it means ahead of joining Ange Postecoglou's Tottenham team

Luka Vuskovic will be playing his football in Belgium next season after securing a loan move to K.V.C. Westerlo. The talented centre-back joins on a season-long loan deal from Hajduk Split and he will wear the No.44 shirt for his new club.

Following a very successful loan spell with Radomiak Radom in the second half of last season, another loan deal was always going to be on the cards for the 17-year-old this summer ahead of finally linking up with Ange Postecoglou's Tottenham team in 2025. Vuskovic signed a long-term contract until 2030 at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium last September after Spurs agreed on a £12million deal with Hajduk Split.

Due to FIFA rules, the centre-back will have to wait until he can arrive in England in 2025 when he is 18 years old. Before then, it's about the player getting as much first-team football under his belt and building on what was an excellent spell with Polish side Radomiak Radom.

As reported by Polish media outlet Weszlo back in May, Slawomir Stempniewski, co-owner of Radomiak Radom, claimed more than once that his club were talking to Tottenham about the possibility of sealing another loan move for the centre-back. However, it always appeared that another deal for the Croat would be hard to complete as it would not be beneficial for Spurs in the long run.

In order for the defender to be able to play in the UK, GBE (Governing Body Endorsement) points are vital as a points-based system is in place. The threshold is 15 points, with the Polish Ekstraklasa seen as one of the least-valued leagues.

In order to bump up the player's points, which are believed to currently stand at four following his time with Radomiak Radom, Weszlo reported that a move to either Belgium or the Netherlands would help Vuskovic and Tottenham out when it comes to obtaining the necessary points as they are amongst the most-valued leagues. So it comes as no surprise to see Vuskovic make the move to Westerlo in Belgium for the 2024/25 season.

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Regular playing time should certainly be there for the starlet as Westerlo look to build on finishing 11th out of 16 teams in the Jupiler Pro League last term. It won't actually be too long until Vuskovic and De Kemphanen are in league action for the first time in 2024/25 as they host Cercle Brugge in their league opener on Sunday, July 28.

A key figure at the back for Radomiak Radom last season as Vuskovic excelled defensively and also contributed with three goals in 14 games, his latest loan move should stand him in good stead ahead of eventually linking up with Tottenham on a permanent basis. After all, Westerlo has "previously proven to be an outstanding development platform for young talents".

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"We are delighted to welcome a player with such potential," Westerlo managing director Wim Van Hove told the club's official website. "With Vuskovic’s arrival, we emphasize our club’s excellent functioning, which has previously proven to be an outstanding development platform for young talents.

"Together with our entire entourage and staff, we look forward to playing an important role in the further growth of his already promising career."

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