Antonio Conte outlines his expectations for Dejan Kulusevski at Tottenham Hotspur
Speaking in the pre-match press conference (h/t Football.London), Antonio Conte has delivered his verdict on the expectations for Dejan Kulusevski at Tottenham Hotspur. The 21-year-old joined Rodrigo Bentancur as one of Spurs’ two January deadline day signings.
The Swedish international is in line to feature in the FA Cup fourth-round match against Brighton and Hove Albion later today. However, he is likely to start the game on the bench alongside Bentancur.
Although signed on loan, there is an obligation for Spurs to sign Kulsevski permanently for £29.2million if certain clauses are met in the future. While the forward had a mixed time in Turin, he still has many years left in his playing career to reach the potential he had shown at Parma.
Conte admits that Kulusevski is a good signing for Spurs since he is full of talent. He further added that the winger is very versatile and direct in his style of play to create opportunities for others. On paper, he is an excellent addition for a side looking to rebuild its reputation as a power in the English game.
“About Kulusevski, he is a good player, he’s very young. I think he’s a great talent. He can play like a number 10 if you want to play with two players behind the striker. At the same time, he has the potential to play also as a wing-back on the right. He has good quality. He likes to attack, he’s good in one vs one’s, to create chances for his teammates. I think a good signing for us.”
First look against Brighton?
The 21-year-old was named the Best Young Player in Serie A for his sensational performances in the 2019/20 season. He has not hit those same heights since then, but it could also have been due to the environment in which he was playing with the Bianconeri.
The Spurs star was often used as a rotational player across various positions, which did not give him an ideal place to further hone his talents. However, under Conte, the Swede could finally have a chance at fulfilling his potential
It will be interesting to see the position in which the Swedish international will play later today if he gets the nod. The Italian coach did mention the number ten role and the right-wingback slot so, it remains to be seen what lies in store for us.
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We did need some improvements in the right wing-back position since both Matt Doherty and Emerson Royal have not been a success for us so far. The Tottenham forward could slot into that role just like Victor Moses and Ivan Perisic have done in the past for the manager.
The Swedish attacker could also be used as a number ten behind Harry Kane, with Son Heung-Min probably taking the role at the opposite end. With all the variations, only time can give us an answer about the former Juve star’s future prospects at N17.
