MY ACCOUNT
Dejan Kulusevski says his time at Tottenham has been a “breath of fresh air” after a “frustrating” period with Juventus.
Kulusevski joined Tottenham in January on an initial 18-month loan deal, which includes an obligation to buy if certain objectives are met.
The Sweden international signed for Juve in a €35million deal in January 2020 and spent the rest of that season – which ended with him crowned Serie’s A’s Best Young Player – on loan with Parma.
He made 47 appearances in his sole full campaign at the Allianz Stadium, with only Adrien Rabiot featuring as many times for the Serie A giants.
Kulusevski scored seven goals and assisted six more across all competitions in an encouraging first year in Turin, but he had been directly involved in just five goals in 27 outings this campaign.
Of those 27 games under Massimiliano Allegri – the joint-third most of any Juve player – just seven were starts, with the versatile attacker dropping down the pecking order.
Kulusevski has impressed since his arrival at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, scoring twice and claiming four assists in nine Premier League appearances. Indeed, only Harry Kane and Son Heung-min have created more goals (both five) for Spurs than him all season in the English top flight.
“Things can change so quickly for a player,” Kulusevski told reporters ahead of Sweden’s World Cup play-off semi-final against Czech Republic on Thursday.
“There were many things at Juventus that weren’t working and it was very frustrating. I played one match a month always in a new position. My body did not feel good, I did not feel physically strong.
“At Tottenham, there’s a breath of fresh air. I have a better rapport with the coach, I was trained better and my physique has improved.”
Tottenham are next in action on April 3 when they host Newcastle United in the Premier League.
