Libraries relying on monkey patching `router.push` no longer work with 15.3

[wintercounter]

Link to the code that reproduces this issue

https://github.com/wintercounter/next-router-push-repro

To Reproduce

1. Monkey-patch router.push
2. Navigating using Link no longer calls it.

Current vs. Expected behavior

router.push no longer called when using Link since 15.3

Provide environment information

Operating System:
  Platform: linux
  Arch: x64
  Version: #1 SMP PREEMPT_DYNAMIC Sat Feb  8 02:00:20 UTC 2025
  Available memory (MB): 32023
  Available CPU cores: 24
Binaries:
  Node: 23.11.0
  npm: 10.9.2
  Yarn: N/A
  pnpm: N/A
Relevant Packages:
  next: 15.3.0 // Latest available version is detected (15.3.0).
  eslint-config-next: 15.3.0
  react: 19.1.0
  react-dom: 19.1.0
  typescript: 5.8.3
Next.js Config:
  output: standalone

Which area(s) are affected? (Select all that apply)

Linking and Navigating

Which stage(s) are affected? (Select all that apply)

Other (Deployed)

Additional context

Many libraries are relying on monkey patching router.push due to the (very) limited router support Next.js provides. Since 15.3, Link stopped using router.push from context.

I understand monkey patching is an unsupported way of doing things, but there is simply no other way to handle specific cases, because Next doesn't provide any public APIs to give us control. I'd really like if it'd be considered

a. Using router.push again for navigation.
b. Giving us APIs and Events for granular control over routing.

This was the previous code:

const navigate = () => {
    // If the router is an NextRouter instance it will have `beforePopState`
    const routerScroll = scroll ?? true
    if ('beforePopState' in router) {
      router[replace ? 'replace' : 'push'](href, as, {
        shallow,
        scroll: routerScroll,
      })
    } else {
      router[replace ? 'replace' : 'push'](as || href, {
        scroll: routerScroll,
      })
    }
  }

This is currently with 15.3:

const navigate = () => {
    if (onNavigate) {
      let isDefaultPrevented = false

      onNavigate({
        preventDefault: () => {
          isDefaultPrevented = true
        },
      })

      if (isDefaultPrevented) {
        return
      }
    }

    dispatchNavigateAction(
      as || href,
      replace ? 'replace' : 'push',
      scroll ?? true,
      linkInstanceRef.current
    )
  }

_NEXT-4532

[ryanelian]

My top progress bar broke.

Can we useLinkStatus that works on server or client and be used outside Link component?

I just want to show a progress bar when a navigation / server-side await / page loading is currently ongoing.

This is my use case that got broken by the 15.3 update:

export function NextClientProgressBar() {
	const [loading, setLoading] = useOptimistic(false);
	const router = useRouter();
	const [, startTransition] = useTransition();

	useEffect(() => {
		if (router.push.name === "patched") {
			return;
		}

		const push = router.push;
		router.push = function patched(...args) {
			startTransition(() => {
				setLoading(true);
				push.apply(history, args);
			});
		};
	}, [router, setLoading]);

	return <AnimatePresence>{loading && <GlobalProgressBar />}</AnimatePresence>;
}