Tottenham Hotspur are approaching the closing stages of the campaign sitting two points above 18th-placed West Ham United in an unfamiliar relegation scrap.
Had Spurs continued with Igor Tudor until the end of the season, it is difficult to imagine the club enjoying the resurgence that has followed since the appointment of Roberto De Zerbi in recent weeks.
The glory years of Harry Kane, Heung-min Son and Dele Alli — when Tottenham were challenging Europe’s elite and earning widespread praise for their attacking football — now feel increasingly distant.
Premier League all-time top scorers
- Alan Shearer – 260 goals
- Harry Kane – 213 goals
- Wayne Rooney – 207 goals
- Mohamed Salah – 193 goals
- Andy Cole – 187 goals
Tottenham are desperate for a new figurehead to emerge, and although he has yet to make a competitive appearance for the club, Luka Vuskovic could become that player.
Vuskovic viewed as Tottenham’s next superstar
At just 19 years old, Vuskovic is already being recognised as one of the brightest young defenders in world football. While still contracted to Spurs, he is currently continuing his development on loan at Hamburg and is expected to play a major role in the club’s future plans next season.
The Croatian defender is regarded as one of Europe’s most exciting centre-backs, with the potential to compete among the elite in years to come. Tottenham’s Premier League status could also prove crucial in convincing him that north London remains the ideal next step in his career.
Talent scout Jacek Kulig previously described Vuskovic as a “monster in the making”, and his performances this season have justified the hype. Dominant in the air, aggressive in defensive duels and comfortable progressing the ball forward, he has also demonstrated an unusual eye for goal.
With five goals in 26 Bundesliga appearances, he currently stands as the highest-scoring centre-back across Europe’s top five leagues.
Yet Vuskovic is not the only highly-rated youngster preparing to return to Spurs, with another emerging talent drawing comparisons to Kane himself.
Tottenham could soon unleash their next Harry Kane
Players with Kane’s level of quality rarely appear, but Mikey Moore is beginning to show signs that he could follow a similar path at Tottenham.
The 18-year-old winger is spending the season on loan at Rangers in the Scottish Premiership, where his development has accelerated significantly over recent months.
After a challenging start to life in Scotland, Moore has become an increasingly influential figure, establishing himself as a regular starter and scoring six goals since the beginning of the year.
His progress was recently recognised when he won the PFA Scotland Men’s Young Player of the Year award. As he prepares to return to north London, parallels are naturally being drawn with Kane, who also benefited from multiple loan spells before becoming a world-class striker under Mauricio Pochettino.
Earlier in his Spurs career, Moore also caught the attention of James Maddison, who compared his style to “Neymar on the left wing”.
The teenager already featured for Tottenham under Ange Postecoglou last season, scoring in the Europa League and collecting a winners’ medal, but his spell in Scotland has given him the consistent first-team football needed to accelerate his growth.
Moore’s numbers highlight his all-round development. Across just 22 league starts this season, he has created seven big chances, averaged 3.2 duels won per game and completed 1.5 tackles per match.
While Vuskovic may currently attract more attention, former Spurs defender Gary Mabbutt believes Moore has the potential to become a “superstar in the future”.
Whether he can eventually mirror Kane’s rise and become a central figure in De Zerbi’s Tottenham project remains to be seen. What is clear, however, is that the presence of talents such as Vuskovic and Moore offers genuine hope that the future at N17 could still be extremely bright.
