When Hamburg pulled off the loan signing of Tottenham central defender Luka Vušković at the end of the summer transfer window, they knew they were signing a player who had significant potential, though just how much would soon become clear. What could not have been foreseen was that, within weeks, Vušković would look less like a loanee finding his feet and more like a cornerstone of Hamburg’s Bundesliga return.

The 18-year-old signed for Merlin Polzin’s team after their opening day goalless draw at Borussia Mönchengladbach and was not deemed fit enough to play a part in the Hamburger Stadt Derby just 24 hours after arriving. He was instead given a baptism of fire a week later, making his debut at the Allianz Arena in a 5-0 defeat for Hamburg, but given the history between the clubs and Bayern’s form as the season has progressed, one can forgive Vušković and his teammates for what was always going to be a tough afternoon.

However, the following three games epitomised exactly what the Croatian is all about. HSV went into the fourth game of the season at home to fellow strugglers Heidenheim with hope of ending their seven-year wait for a Bundesliga goal. Vušković ended that wait by sending HSV on their way to victory, putting his team in front with a deft finish following a goalmouth scramble. This wasn’t before he had to endure the frustration of sending a volley over the bar earlier in the half. Angry with the miss, Vušković sent a right hook that Muhammad Ali would’ve been proud of into the frame of the goal. Appearing in the mixed zone after the game, he told reporters: “I think I broke two fingers, I was just so mad about that [missed chance] that I bashed the post with full force.” 

Scoring goals is not an unfamiliar feeling for Vušković. During his previous two loan spells away from Tottenham, he found the net a total of 10 times in 42 appearances in the Polish Ekstraklasa and the Belgian Pro League.

One week on, facing Union Berlin at the Alte Försterei, he was back to the day job. Winning an astonishing 18 aerial duels, the first time that feat has been achieved in one of Europe’s top five leagues in five years. Swiss international Miro Muheim was full of praise for his teammate after the goalless draw, “He’s a monster, for sure. I don’t think he’s lost a single header. He’s doing a great job. The boy is a superb footballer and is helping us tremendously.”

The following matchday, Hamburg really clicked for the first time since their Bundesliga return, dispatching Mainz 4-0 at the Volksparkstadion. With Vušković at the heart of Polzin’s back three, they never looked like conceding. These performances were enough to earn Vušković the Bundesliga Rookie of the Month award in back-to-back months. 

Vušković’s consistency has been made all the more impressive by the fact he has had to contend with an ever-changing defence around him. He kicked off the season alongside fellow loan signing Warmed Omari and Daniel Elfadli, until the former suffered a ligament tear in the draw with Union. Vice-captain Nicolas Capaldo has filled in as a makeshift replacement for the Frenchman. Elfadli hasn’t been without his interruptions this season either; multiple suspensions and injuries have meant that Jordan Torunarigha has also stepped into Polzin’s back line.

The Croatian’s best moment thus far in a Hamburg shirt came during the Nordderby with Werder Bremen at the Volksparkstadion. With the scores level at 1-1 during a tense encounter, fellow North London loanee Fábio Vieira whipped in a free kick which Vušković met, remarkably, with an outrageous scorpion kick to put HSV in front – a strike that would later be voted the Bundesliga Goal of the Year. Hamburg went on to win 3-2, sparking scenes of jubilation after a first Bundesliga victory over their old rivals since April 2016. Vušković was front and centre of the celebrations in front of Hamburg’s Nordtribüne, lapping up the love and support from the HSV faithful.

As the Bundesliga prepared to roar into action again following the winter break, Vušković saw off competition from the likes of Harry Kane and Michael Olise to claim the fan-voted Bundesliga Player of the Season So Far award. One should probably take this with a small pinch of salt given its fan-voted nature; the size of HSV’s fanbase along with widespread fatigue with Bayern Munich’s dominance may have swayed the vote. Still, the fact Vušković was nominated in the first place is impressive.

Despite his young age, Vušković has shown plenty in his first six months in Germany to suggest he is destined for a future at the top of the European game. It feels improbable that the Croatian will return to Hamburg after his loan expires this summer. It was already touch and go whether Spurs would let him leave this season, with Thomas Frank’s preference for him to stay in and around the Lilywhites first team squad, before ultimately deciding he should spend the season playing every minute in one of Europe’s top five leagues.

Vušković, along with his father Danijel, have both been making noise about their plans for the future. Luka has said on multiple occasions that his dream is to play at least one game for HSV alongside his older brother Mario, who returns from a doping suspension in November. Whether Spurs sanction another loan remains to be seen. One thing that does seem certain, however; whether it is at Spurs, Hamburg, or elsewhere, European football fans will be seeing a lot more of Luka Vušković in the coming years.