Dejan Kulusevski: The unsung hero at Tottenham
Ever since Antonio Conte replaced Nuno Santo as Tottenham manager back in November, it has been a rebuilding project on and off the pitch, and there is one player in particular that will have won favour with the Italian tactician.
Step forward Dejan Kulusevski. Although Harry Kane and Heung-Min Son usually lap up the plaudits for their exploits on the pitch, Kulusevski, to a certain extent, was a missing piece of the puzzle that has now been filled.
Kulusevski – who joined Tottenham on loan from Juventus in January – has been a revelation. Although the North London outfit saw a move for Luis Diaz gazumped by Liverpool, Kulusevski has shone.
If anything, Kulusevski looks like he has been playing in the Premier League for years and the way he patrols the midfield is impressive. Although he played in a more advanced role in the recent draw against Brentford, the 22-year-old has been brilliant with his link-up play.
A cursory glance at his league stats shows that he averages just shy of 28 passes per match and he has supplied eight assists. Oh, and he knows where the back of the net is, having already scored three times in England’s top-flight division this campaign.
When asked for his thoughts behind his form, Kulusevski said: “With the coaches, they found the perfect position for me, so I can have the ball a lot, attack the goal and have opportunities to score goals and assist my team-mates.
“I think you can see, when I play, I play freely, without really thinking, without worrying about mistakes, I just play my game.
“That is when I play at my best. I am happy when I can do that.”
Initially, Kulusevski’s loan deal was for 18 months, but there have been mounting reports that Tottenham will look to clinch a permanent deal for him. This would certainly represent a coup and a sign of Tottenham’s intentions, even though it could be a busy summer in the transfer window for the top-four hopefuls.
Indeed, the top betting sites are also the best PayPal betting sites, and so, with that, you can expect to see a flurry of football lines. After the end of the season, the transfer window springs into life and clubs will be desperate to carry out as many deals as possible. Some of the best bookmakers, such as Betway, Unibet and Betfair will carry odds on which club a player might join and this will usually run right up to deadline day, so there is plenty to keep bettors entertained.
Although Tottenham may be worried about the future of Kane, who was heavily linked with a move to Manchester City last summer, clinching a permanent deal for Kulusevski would make great business sense.
Kulusevski has an X-Factor quality about him and he knows how to unlock defences. He’s the sort of the player that will only get better. He is fast becoming a fan favourite and arguably his best years lie ahead of him in the white half of north London.
Top of page | Index to 2021-22 Matches & Reports
