Antonio Conte’s reign at Tottenham Hotspur didn’t finish like the fans would have liked.
But you can’t argue that there are certain signings made under his stewardship that are still blossoming to this day at Hotspur Way.
One of them is Dejan Kulusevski, with the Tottenham winger brought in from Serie A in January 2022 when the team were pushing for Champions League football.
The Sweden international has been dubbed a ‘diamond’ and a ‘student of the game’ by Owen Hargreaves, as he told Premier League Productions (18/03/24 at 5:40 pm).
The former Bayern Munich midfielder added that Dejan Kulusevski is someone who can play ‘as a ten or wide’ and is ‘smart’ like Kevin de Bruyne.
What stands out about the 23-year-old is his footballing brain and how he can cause issues in the final third without needing that blistering pace.
There are times when you want more from the player, but it doesn’t help when Tottenham continue to chop and change managers.
It’s a completely different style from Antonio Conte to Ange Postecoglou, as you feel Dejan Kulusevski will certainly enjoy playing in this new attacking system in years to come.
Dejan Kulusevski’s qualities
“What a diamond,” said Hargreaves. “Just the way he was communicating and talking. Kind of educating the next generation. Just the way the kids were looking at him. It can have such a big impact when some of the pros can work with the academy boys.
“He is an amazing player, whether he plays as a ten or wide – the smart players like Kulusevski and de Bruyne, you watch them, they stay away from the ball. It allows them to have a little bit more space. I really love listening to him talk about the game. You make a good point, he is a student of the game.”
Tottenham shutdown by Fulham
Before the weekend, Spurs had scored in every Premier League game under Postecoglou this season.
After beating Aston Villa 4-0 last week and boosting their top-four chances, you would have thought that normal service would have continued at Craven Cottage.
But that defeat and performance was a body blow to the team, with players from back to front struggling to make their mark.
Kulusevski assisted at Villa Park, but he didn’t have a sniff against Fulham and the same could be said for the rest of his teammates.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
