MY ACCOUNT
Antonio Conte has strongly hinted Tottenham will be triggering their option to purchase Dejan Kulusevski from Juventus after an encouraging start to his loan spell.
Kulusevski joined Spurs at the end of the January transfer window, with the club reportedly paying Juve €10million (£8.3m) to take him on loan until June 2023.
That deal included a purchase option, which is reportedly set at €30m (£24.9m) for the upcoming transfer window. If Spurs do not trigger that agreement, a mandatory €35m clause could come into effect next year if Kulusevski plays at least 45 minutes in 50 per cent of their Premier League games and the club qualifies for the Champions League, according to the Guardian.
And judging from Conte’s response when asked about his future, Spurs are already considering Kulusevski as one of their own.
Asked if the club is taking up the purchase option on the winger, Conte told reporters: “Yeah, I think he’s on loan but it’s like a deal ended.
“He’s a Tottenham player, 100 per cent in every aspect. Not officially, but he’s 100 per cent a Tottenham player.”
Kulusevski has made a strong impact after a slow first few weeks at the club, with his creativity and ability on the ball making him a valuable asset alongside Harry Kane and Son Heung-min in Spurs’ attack.
Since his Premier League debut on February 9, Kulusevski’s eight assists is a Premier League high, with Kane (six) the only other player to register more than four.
The Sweden international has also scored three times over that period, making him just one of five players to reach double figures for goal involvements, alongside Son (15), Kane (14), Mohamed Salah and Cristiano Ronaldo (both 10).
Kulusevski’s ball-carrying ability has also been a weapon for Spurs. He has totalled 18 shot involvements (shots taken and chances created) at the end of a carry, a figure bettered by only six players.
Similarly, five of his goal involvements have come after carries, with no Premier League player managing more over the same period.
But while Kulusevski seems a certainty to stick around at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Conte insists he is not getting ahead of himself by planning transfer talks with chairman Daniel Levy and sporting director Fabio Paratici.
“No, no, no,” he laughed. “We’re totally focused on this season.
“Also, because I repeat, we’re finishing this season with only 15 players and at the moment, it’s not convenient to give them a list, because the list it would be very, very, very big!
“You understand? It’s not a good moment to give them the list.”
