Tottenham could face UEFA 'issues' if Brighton complete Luka Vuskovic 'swap deal' - Stefan Borson

Tottenham Hotspur are at risk of getting into trouble with UEFA should a deal for Luka Vuskovic be completed with Brighton.

That is according to former Manchester City financial adviser Stefan Borson, who exclusively told Football Insider the transfer is worryingly similar to the one that saw Jan Paul van Hecke move to North London.

As one of Roberto De Zerbi's first additions to the squad, alongside Andy Robertoson and Marcos Senesi, Spurs splashed £52million on the defender.

It was a deal that baffled many, with the centre-back only having a year left on his contract at the Amex Stadium, but the Lilywhites nonetheless completed the transfer.

With each of Brighton's rejected bids for Vuskovic, on the other hand, takes them one step closer to a similar fee to Van Hecke's, and that could cause complications.

UEFA can become critical if two seemingly separate transfers appear to function as a swap deal, with inflated price tags to help battle PSR concerns.

Luka Vuskovic sale could trigger UEFA 'issues'

Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, Borson has raised concerns after the Seagulls made a bid of £45m, which many are also expecting to be rejected.

"They're not that desperate to sell him, so they'll do what everybody is doing to them this summer, which is just holding tight," he said.

"Brighton obviously got a very big fee for a player that was [nearly] out of contract. Look, it wouldn't shock me if the fee ended up being very similar.

"But that might give them some issues from a UEFA perspective because they've already got an issue where it looks maybe close to a swap deal.

"I don't think they're being unreasonable. I think a lot of Spurs fans would say the fee that's been proposed for him is too low.

"And I think most Spurs fans actually would want to keep hold of the player."

What's the latest on Vuskovic's move to Brighton?

After rejecting bids of £30m and £35m, Spurs are currently considering a deal worth £45m, and the club have not yet made a decision.

Signs coming out of Hotspur Way, however, would suggest that the Lilywhites are set to finally agree to the transfer, which would help them avoid a case from UEFA.

Following Vuskovic's season-long loan at Hamburg, there is definitely an argue to be made that he's actually more valuable than Van Hecke due to his age and technical ability.

However, with Spurs needing to raise funds as well as sign star players to rebuild the squad, it might be a sensible idea to get an early deal done, rather than stretching it throughout the summer.