Spurs have an elite academy star alongside Vuskovic.

Will Tottenham Hotspur still play in the Premier League next season? That’s the million dollar question.

It’s been a long and tough season for Spurs, with years of poor decisions leading to a genuine relegation battle. Roberto de Zerbi lifted his team out of the drop zone, but 18th-placed West Ham United are strangling their rivals with two games in hand.

With Xavi Simmons sidelined and James Maddison returning from a year-long recovery from an ACL injury, Tottenham will need everything they can get in these final weeks, with their game fitness dwindling.

And that applies not only in attack but also in defense, with Micky van de Ven being tasked with holding the fort in the continued absence of Cristian Romero.

Fortunately, Luka Vusković is set to return to north London this summer and the Croatian defender could establish himself as one of the best players around.

Comparison of Vusković and Van de Ven

Vuskovic, 19, is one of the most exciting young defenders in the world and although Tottenham have secured his contract for 2023, he is yet to make a competitive appearance for the London side.

The Croatian player, currently on loan in Germany, is developing steadily and is a player worthy of becoming a Bundesliga superstar. The Premier League is a different ballpark for many hopefuls, but there is no question he could fill in alongside Van de Ven after Romero leaves.

However, given that the teenager is already playing at an elite level and was hailed by content creator Feargo last year as “the best 18-year-old centre-back I’ve ever seen in my life”, he should be a candidate for De Zerbi.

To be honest, Vuskovic could outperform the Dutchman in Tottenham’s defense next season and have a better season at Hamburg than Van de Ven did at Wolfsburg in 2022/23, with manager Ange Postecoglou overseeing a £43m move in July 2023.

He is arguably Tottenham’s most exciting up-and-comer, but he is far from the only one, with attacking midfielders like Dele Alli looking to make their mark next season.

Spurs’ new Dele is there with Vuskovic

A fall to the Championship would give Luca Williams-Barnett more chances at De Zerbi’s Tottenham side, but there are claims the 18-year-old has what it takes to make his mark in the Premier League.

Williams-Barnett is an incredibly talented attacker who is also capable in the middle of the park, but is at his best when placed behind a centre-forward, picking off passes and using deft footwork to break into promising positions.

Hailed as part of a ‘special generation’ of academy talent emerging in the Hotspur Way, Williams-Barnett is perhaps the best of the bunch and could rival Vuskovic for the crown (hopefully in the Premier League) in the coming years.

This season he scored 16 goals and provided eight assists in 19 games for Spurs’ development squad, making his first-team debut as Thomas Frank’s Tottenham defeated Doncaster Rovers in the third round of the Carabao Cup.

After all, he has been described as ‘one of England’s best talents’ and with that in mind, the teenager could develop into a superstar of the same quality as Dele in his prime at Tottenham. Isn’t there something to that?

The 30-year-old playmaker is one of the most awe-inspiring youngsters to emerge in the Premier League, tearing opponents to shreds after joining from MK Dons for £5m as a youngster. Williams-Barnett has a similar aura and his youthful rise coupled with Vuskovic’s return could be just what the Lilywhites need.

Dale may no longer be slamming home for Tottenham, but fans won’t soon forget how good the England international was under Mauricio Pochettino.

In the case of Williams and Barnett, Spurs could develop in a similar way and have a rare number 10 with the potential to rival Vuskovic for the club’s top spot.