Luka Vuskovic and the €100m question facing Iraola’s Liverpool
Every new head coach eventually arrives at the same conclusion about the back line, and it seems Andoni Iraola has reached his sooner than most. Liverpool are already looking towards summer 2027, and one of the names now sitting on the defensive shortlist is about as ambitious as it gets: Brighton’s teenage centre-back Luka Vuskovic.
The story comes from Sky Sports Germany’s Florian Plettenberg, who says the 19-year-old is being watched on a regular basis by Liverpool’s recruitment staff. According to Plettenberg, Brighton have him tied down until 2031, there will be no release clause to trigger next summer, and his rough valuation sits in the region of €100m. He also adds that Vuskovic is thriving under Fabian Hürzeler, although the player has long harboured hopes of one day ending up at Real Madrid.
Liverpool have Luka Vuskovic on their shortlist for next summer.
Read more: Jeremie Frimpong’s finest work this season is happening off the pitch
Florian Plettenberg (@Plettigoal) View post on X
Results are good, the defending is not quite there
To understand why the club are thinking this far ahead, look at the balance sheet of the Iraola era so far. Ten wins from his first 16 games across all competitions is a healthy return for a coach still bedding in his ideas. Dig beneath that, though, and only four clean sheets have come in that run. Too many matches have seen Liverpool ship two or more, and for a side with title aspirations that is a pattern that cannot be allowed to settle in.
There is also the longer view. Virgil van Dijk will not go on forever, and whoever eventually inherits the leadership of this defence needs to be identified, signed and settled before that moment arrives rather than after it. That is the context in which a name like Vuskovic starts to make a lot of sense.
A rapid rise that Brighton read perfectly
The Croatian’s career has moved at a remarkable speed. Tottenham brought him over from Hajduk Split in 2025 and loaned him straight out to Hamburg, where his performances in Germany turned plenty of heads. A permanent switch followed quickly, and Brighton then pounced, breaking their own transfer record to land him. He has rewarded that boldness with calm, mature displays in the Premier League that belie his age.
That background matters, because it tells you exactly what kind of negotiation Liverpool would be walking into. Brighton have built an entire model on spotting talent early, developing it intelligently and only letting go when the price suits them. With five years left on his deal and no clause to exploit, they hold every card. Any approach would need a serious bid and an equally serious pitch about his role at Anfield.
Our take: the right profile, a daunting price
We like this link, and we think it is a credible one. Liverpool need a plan for the next defensive generation, and Vuskovic is precisely the sort of player you would draw up if asked to design one: young, already proven at senior level, physically ready and carrying enormous resale value. It fits the way the club have tended to operate at their best, getting to elite talent before the very top of the market does.
The sticking point is obvious. €100m for a 19-year-old centre-back is a staggering commitment, and it would hang over the player from his first touch. We have seen how heavy a price tag can feel for young signings, and defenders are judged harshly on every error. The club would need to be certain he is ready to start, not simply someone to grow into the role over two or three seasons.
It is also worth weighing the alternatives. Ronald Araújo remains on the radar, with a reported option to make his move permanent for €55m. His ability to cover both centre-back and right-back gives him a flexibility that Iraola would surely value. If the coach also wants extra bite in midfield, the recruitment team may have to decide which area gets the biggest slice of the budget, and Araújo at roughly half the cost could look the more sensible route.
Even so, there is something encouraging about seeing Liverpool linked with a defender of this quality so early in the cycle. It points to joined-up thinking, real ambition and a recognition that the next great Liverpool side has to be built from the back with time to spare. Whether Vuskovic ends up in red or this stays a shortlist story, it is a clear sign of where the club’s attention is heading, and we will be watching closely as next summer approaches.