Dejan Kulusevski has shone in Serie A with Parma to catch the eye of Premier League duo Arsenal and Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Wolverhampton Wanderers are set to make a £13 million bid for Parma’s highly-rated playmaker Dejan Kulusevski, according to Tuttomercatoweb, with Arsenal also interested in bringing the Serie A starlet to England.
The Swedish U21 international has been a revelation since joining Parma on loan from Atalanta in July. Kulusevski, who is at his most dangerous when picking up the ball on the half turn in his favoured number ten role, has the ability to open up a defence with ease on either foot or skip past challenges with his trademark turn of pace and a shuffle of those twinkling toes.
Comparisons will inevitably be drawn with Mesut Ozil due to his rangy, languid style and penchant for an assist (Kulusevski has five in 11 starts for Parma), with TMW claiming that Arsenal have been watching him for a number of months.
Right now, however, it seems that Wolves are leading the race. Nuno Espirito Santo’s side are apparently set to make a bid of £13 million, though Atalanta want closer to £23 million for the Stockholm-born midfielder.
Wolves rely so much upon their wide players for creativity but Kulusevski would give them something different through the middle, the kind of number ten that the Black Country side haven’t really had since Nuno Espirito Santo took over.
But should he choose Arsenal, he could offer some much needed cutting edge when Ozil, for whatever reason, is nowhere to be seen. Kulusevski certainly possesses the energy and work-rate that could make him a better fit than the enigmatic German for Unai Emery’s system.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
