Who is Dejan Kulusevski? Tottenham's new signing from Juventus
Carlo Garganese
- 31 Jan 2022 13:12 GMT
- 7 min read
After bursting on the scene on loan at Parma in the 2019-20 season, Dejan Kulusevski was immediately labelled as the next big thing of Swedish football.
He then moved on to Italian giants Juventus, but lasted only 18 month there before agreeing to join Tottenham on an initial loan deal.
Related articles
So what do we know about the Sweden winger?
What position does Dejan Kulusevski play in?
Kulusevski has stressed that his natural role is as a number 10 in an attacking midfield position behind a forward or two forwards.
However, he has seldom played in this role during his career. He exploded in the 2019/20 campaign with Parma on the right wing of a 4-3-3 and it is in this position that he has shown his best.
But Kulusevski has been deployed in numerous different positions with varying degrees of success with both Juventus and Sweden. He has played as a wide left midfielder in a 4-4-2 for Sweden, as well as in a front two.
He has also played up-front for Juventus, as well as in a wing-back role while Andrea Pirlo was boss in 2020-21.
How good is Dejan Kulusevski?
Kulusevski exploded in the 2019-20 season while on loan at Parma from Atalanta. Still just a teenager for most of that campaign, the wideman emerged as the best youngster in Italy and was named Serie A Young Player of the Year.
Playing on the right wing of Roberto D’Aversa’s 4-3-3, Kulusevski was an electric force down the flank. The Swede possesses pace, trickery, a lovely left foot and precise shot but his best trait is his workrate and stamina as he is able to run non-stop for 90 minutes without tiring.
D’Aversa compared Kulusevski to Liverpool superstar Mohamed Salah, while the player himself said that the similarly red-headed Kevin De Bruyne was his idol.
His form for Parma, where he scored a promising six goals in 33 Serie A appearances, earned him a €44 million move to Juventus ahead of the 2020-21 season.
However, Kulusevski largely failed to live up to his potential at Italy’s biggest club.
He failed to nail down a regular starting spot in the first XI, starting just 19 Serie A games last season and only five this time around.
Kulusevski has had his moments, with his highlight being opening the scoring in the 2-1 Coppa Italia final win over former club Atalanta in his debut season at Juve.
However, he has often been low on confidence, exhibiting poor body language. At Juve he has struggled to dribble past his opponent one on one, often choosing to pass the ball or cut inside instead.
Kulusevski has been hampered by not being able to settle in one role, often used in different positions in different formations.
His chances to prove that he could succeed at Juventus eventually ran out, and indeed this season he scored just two goals and delivered only three assists in all competitions.
Kulusevski has been capped 20 times by Sweden, scoring one goal.
What clubs are interested in Dejan Kulusevski?
According to Sky Italia, Arsenal opened talks to sign Kulusevski in January. The Gunners are in the market for attackers mid-season with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Alexandre Lacazette and Pepe all without long-term futures at the club.
Juventus were open to sell Kulusevski at the right price, eager to make money back on their investment and recoup some of the €80m spent on big January signing Dusan Vlahovic.
Current Juventus coach Max Allegri is understood to have not been a fan of the Swede, something that was revealed recently by the Swedish former England manager Sven Goran Eriksson.
“I was told that Allegri thinks Kulusevski can’t read the game good enough. I don’t know what that means but obviously, the coach sees something that makes him not trust him 100%,” Eriksson told The Italian Football Podcast.
“But with the talent Kulusevski has, he can do things on his own. So, it is very strange that he doesn’t start every game. I don’t think he should leave Juve now, but if this goes on all season, and that he’s sitting on the bench, then I think he should leave.
“Also, at his age, with his talent, also for the Swedish National team, he needs to play regularly, he has to play a lot. If not he won’t become the great player we hope he will become.”
Eventually, it was Arsenal’s rivals Tottenham who swooped to sign Kulusevski.
The presence of Tottenham sporting director Fabio Paratici, who signed the Swede for Juventus, proved vital.
Kulusevski arrives on an 18-month loan, with the transfer becoming permanent for potentially over €40m if certain objectives are met.
When does Dejan Kulusevski’s contract expire?
Kulusevski had a contract at Juventus until June 2025 and earned a salary of €2.5m a year.
How old is Dejan Kulusevski?
Kulusevski was born on April 25, 2000, making him 21 years old.
What is Dejan Kulusevski’s height?
Kulusevski is measured at 186cm tall or 6ft 1in.
What is Dejan Kulusevski’s weight?
Kulusevski is believed to weigh around 75kg or 11st 8lb.
What football boots does Dejan Kulusevski wear?
Kulusevski wears Nike Mercurial Vapor 14 soccer cleats.
What is Dejan Kulusevski’s Instagram?
Kulusevski has 998k followers on his Instagram account as of November 2021
Who is Dejan Kulusevski’s girlfriend?
Kulusevski is dating Eldina Ahmic.
