Liverpool and Real Madrid are circling Brighton’s 19-year-old £46m defender, and the Seagulls already want £100m

Liverpool and Real Madrid are reportedly set to battle for Brighton’s 19-year-old centre-back Luka Vuskovic in 2027, but the Seagulls already have a £100m price tag in mind.

Vuskovic joined Brighton from Tottenham Hotspur during the summer for a club-record £46m, and the Croatian has started all seven of Brighton’s Premier League games. According to Football Insider, both Liverpool and Real Madrid are interested ahead of a potential Luka Vuskovic transfer next year.

Brighton sit third with 16 points and boast the joint-best defensive record in the league, with five clean sheets so far. Vuskovic has played a big part in that, which explains why European heavyweights are paying attention.

Why are Liverpool and Real Madrid watching Luka Vuskovic?

Vuskovic is widely regarded as a special talent, and he has barely put a foot wrong since arriving on the south coast. Before that he impressed in Germany during his loan spell at Hamburger SV from Tottenham, and there is a belief that he could eventually move on from Brighton to take the next step in his career.

That next step is unlikely to come cheaply. Brighton reportedly value him at £100m, more than double what they paid for him, so neither Liverpool nor Real Madrid will find it easy to prise him away from the Amex Stadium.

Where would Luka Vuskovic fit at Liverpool?

The Reds are building a strong pool of young talent at the back, with Giovanni Leoni and Jeremy Jacquet expected to play important roles in the club’s defensive future. Even so, Joe Gomez is injury-prone and Liverpool may need to move him on next summer, while Virgil van Dijk is approaching the twilight of his career, even though the Dutchman still has plenty of football left in him.

Bayer Leverkusen defender Jarell Quansah has also been linked with a return to Liverpool in recent months, though the Reds would need to pay a substantial fee to bring him back to Anfield. Liverpool have also been chasing young talent elsewhere, with a Valencia teenager on their radar.

Author Opinion

Vuskovic would undoubtedly be an excellent addition to the squad, but Liverpool should be cautious about committing to £100m-plus signings in every transfer window. A fee that big for a 19-year-old is a huge gamble, even for a defender this good. Brighton, who have the club-record signing locked in for now, are under no pressure to sell, so 2027 looks a long way off.