Dejan Kulusevski has been excelling for Spurs but he may need to find a new home at the end of the season.
Much like in Rodrigo Bentancur’s case, an escape from the shackles of Maximiliano Allegri’s restrictive system at Juventus has allowed Dejan Kulusevski to demonstrate his magnificence.
Whilst Antonio Conte was the recipient of a ton of credit for steering Tottenham Hotspur to Champions League qualification, it was far from a coincidence that his side’s upswing coincided with the Swede’s arrival in January in the previous campaign.
And as things stand, there is a strong case to be made for the Stockholm-born forward to have upstaged Son Heung-min as Spurs’ second most important player after the one and only Harry Kane in such a short space of time.
Why wait for Spurs to catch up?
While it may come as a surprise as Kulusevski is yet to have even completed his one-year anniversary in the white half of North London, a staunch argument can be made for him to begin assessing his future at the club already.
After all, there are evident cracks in Antonio Conte’s project at Tottenham, from his systemic flaws to the club’s latest transfer window being an indicator of how there is still a lot to be desired from a recruitment perspective, even after Fabio Paratici’s appointment.
With the youngster already one of the finest players in Europe in his position, the question remains why should he wait for Tottenham to become one of the best of the best as well?
The last thing a player of his stature wishes for is to be perennially trying to rise to the top amidst the quicksand that is Tottenham Hotspur, in the same vein as Harry Kane has done so for more than half a decade.
The top dogs could do with Kulusevski
Furthermore, a number of elite clubs in Europe are in desperate need of a winger and he remains one of the best in the business at just 22 years of age.
Case in point, Manchester City, who have previously been speculated to be interested in signing the Tottenham winger by the Athletic. While the likes of Jack Grealish and Phil Foden profile as a natural attacking midfielders, the only certified wideman at the club remains Riyad Mahrez.
However, the Algerian captain’s mere 4 starts in the league so far coupled with his underwhelming displays since the second half of last season are signs that his days as a world-class winger are behind him.
Considering Mahrez himself is perhaps the archetype of the creative winger, Kulusevski is as like-for-like as a successor can get in the market, barring the prodigious Cole Palmer who is merely a bench option currently.
With reports circulating about Pep Guardiola potentially penning a contract renewal till 2025, the stars could align for Dejan Kulusevski to play under the guidance of arguably the best manager in the world, as well as the most feared side in Europe.
Another example is Real Madrid, who have been forced into playing a natural left-winger in Rodrygo on the right flank, due to their failure to not just sign Kylian Mbappe, but bring in a brand-new forward this summer.
Also, considering Vinicius Jr. is as direct a winger as one can find in Europe, the contrast a ball-to-feet wideman such as the Spurs fan favourite could bring could tempt Carlo Ancelotti’s side into making a move.
In a similar vein, Bayern Munich are another club that could be enchanted by the prospect of signing Dejan Kulusevski, who were linked with his signature in December last year, as reported by Gazzetta dello Sport.
With Leroy Sane thriving in a hybrid role as a left-winger that attacks central spaces, the Bundesliga juggernaut still remain in need for a right-winger, as Serge Gnabry’s stock has slightly fallen since last term.
It is imperative to emphasise that staying put at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is far from a crisis for the highly-acclaimed winger.
However, with some of the best sides in the world potentially showcasing an interest in Dejan Kulusevski and him being a gamechanger of the highest order, it simply is a case of being ahead of the curve if he starts considering life after Spurs as soon as next summer.
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