‘Of course’: Conte admits he’s ready to play £29m Tottenham man in a new position

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Antonio Conte has been speaking in his pre-match press conference ahead of the Premier League clash between Tottenham and Leicester on Sunday.

Interestingly, the Italian suggested that he could soon play Dejan Kulusevski in a position he is yet to use him in at Spurs.

What’s the story?

Well, Conte was discussing the injury issues Tottenham are faced with in the wing-back department, as Sergio Reguilon and Matt Doherty remain absent.

The north Londoners are expecting to have Emerson Royal and Ryan Sessegnon available again, but if not, the 52-year-old has an idea.

As quoted by Football London, Conte said: “If now we have Emerson and Sessegnon available I think also Deki (Kulusevski) can play in this position.”

Now, Kulusevski has never played as a wing-back since his move to England, so in that respect, it would be a new experience for him.

The Sweden international has, however, played in that role for Juventus while Andrea Pirlo was in charge.

If Kulusevski does end up operating as a wing-back, we have no doubts that he’ll be able to influence things going forward.

Since his arrival in January, the 22-year-old has scored three goals in 13 Premier League games, while also providing six assists.

However, it will be interesting to see how he fares defensively if he does play as a wing-back against Leicester, especially against the likes of Harvey Barnes and Jamie Vardy.

Antonio Conte will love having Dejan Kulusevski at Tottenham

Versatility is a wonderful trait for a footballer to have.

It portrays a strong footballing IQ, as only the most intelligent of players are capable of understanding various roles on the pitch.

Throughout his career, Kulusevski has been used as a central midfielder, a left and right wing-back, a centre-forward, second-striker, attacking midfielder and also a right and left forward, as Transfermarkt shows.

The Swede – who Tottenham are obligated to buy for £29m – can pretty much do it all, and possesses enough quality to make an impact in these areas.

As far as Conte is concerned, he will be delighted to have such a useful asset on his hands, who can cover a range of positions.