How did Spurs beat Arsenal to the signing of Kulusevski? It's all Pepe's fault
FT Desk
- 14 Apr 2022 22:52 BST
- 5 min read
There’s no doubt that on-loan forward Dejan Kulusevski has impressed Tottenham Hotspur fans since he joined the club in the January transfer window.
The Juventus talent has only played 13 games for Antonio Conte’s side, but he’s already managed to bag three goals and six assists alongside slotting into an impressive front line of Heung-Min Son and Harry Kane.
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As many Spurs fans will remember, the Sweden international was heavily linked with a move to the other side of North London, with Arsenal reportedly keen on signing the player.
As fate would have it, Spurs managed to act quickly and snatched up the young forward before the window shut, and now look likely to sign him on a permanent deal this summer.
However, according to a new report in England, Arsenal turned down the chance to sign Kulusevski and the reasons for being put off the player may end up annoying some fans of Mikel Arteta’s side.
How Pepe blocked an Arsenal move for Kulusevski
According to the Athletic, the Swedish forward was deemed to be an exciting talent with bags of potential by the Arsenal scouts ahead of the January transfer window.
However, according to the publication, Arsenal decided against making a move for Kulusevski this season and instead shortlisted him as a long-term transfer target.
Their reasoning for not pulling the trigger on a move for the player was apparently down to the fact that Arsenal already have two left-footed forwards in their team, Bukayo Saka and Nicolas Pepe.
What will undoubtedly annoy Arsenal fans is the fact that while Saka is an important member of Arteta’s squad, Pepe has long since been considered a bit of a flop at the club and could easily be sold this summer if a buyer could be found.
As such, Arsenal may have missed out on signing an extremely talented young player because of a player they’ll be looking to sell. And as a consequence their nearest rivals signed him instead.
