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Just days before the start of the new season, Ruben Selles has lost one of his most influential players at Sheffield United. But, the solution is simple.
Until now, the Blades had managed to keep the majority of Chris Wilder’s squad together allowing Ruben Selles a pretty calm transition into the job.
However, Anel Ahmedhodzic quickly sealed a move to Feyenoord this week and has even made his debut for the Dutch giants already.
Now, Selles must find a replacement to plug the gap in his defensive line, and we know exactly who he should target.
- READ MORE: Sheffield United expert believes Blades have ‘serious work to do’ with transfers as key duo depart
Luka Vuskovic can be Anel Ahmedhodzic 2.0 for Sheffield United
Ahmedhodzic was one of the best players in the Championship, offering immense strength, aggression, awareness, and ball-playing ability for the Blades.
The 1.92m tall Bosnian international will be a huge loss in a very literal sense, but signing Luka Vuskovic from Tottenham Hotspur would go a long way to resolving that issue.
Vuskovic comes in at 1.93m tall, and while height is not the be-all and end-all for any player, there’s no denying the young Croatian would offer a similar physical presence to the one Ahmedhodzic provided.
Beyond the obvious, though, Vuskovic has very quickly proven himself to be one of the most exciting young defenders in the game. A highly successful loan spell at KVC Westerlo in Belgium last season saw Vuskovic score seven goals and register two assists, as well as putting in commanding displays at the back.
He’s made a decent impact since linking up with Spurs this summer, too, and bagged yet again for the Lilywhites in pre-season. However, it’s thought Thomas Frank still wants the teenager to go out on loan and gain more experience in 2025/26.
While United have been linked with Ben Godfrey this week, Selles must surely be tempted to take a gamble on the raw talent of Vuskovic to aid his promotion push.
Ruben Selles may want to look for long-term solution
Of course, the one downside to borrowing one of Tottenham’s brightest young talents is that it’s highly unlikely Selles would be able to keep Vuskovic beyond this season.
With Sheffield United tipped to go up this term, Selles will perhaps have one eye on the long-term and be concerned that signing a loanee would only leave him in a similar position in a year’s time.
In that regard, perhaps the permanent transfer of Godfrey, or even a rekindled interest in Chris Mepham, would serve Sheffield United better for the future rather than the short-term gain of Vuskovic’s talents.