Tottenham Hotspur have confirmed the permanent signing of Dejan Kulusevski from Juventus. The 23-year-old winger joined the Lilywhites on loan in January 2022 on an initial 18-month loan, and he's now penned a contract which keeps him in north London until 2028.
An official statement from Spurs reads: "An exciting and versatile forward, Dejan made an outstanding impact on his first start for the Club, scoring and registering an assist in a memorable 3-2 victory over Manchester City in February, 2022. He carried on his fine form throughout the second half of the 2021/22 season, playing an integral role in the Club’s qualification into last year’s UEFA Champions League.
"The 23-year-old made a total of 37 appearances last term, taking his tally up to 57 appearances and seven goals in all competitions. In his debut campaign, he became the first player in Premier League history to end the season in the top 10 for assists after making less than 20 appearances.
"At international level, he has made 29 appearances for his country to date, scoring twice, and in December, 2022, he earned recognition for a stand-out first year in the Premier League by being awarded the 2022 Guldbollen, the prize for Sweden’s best male player."
Had Tottenham qualified for the Champions League last season then Kulusevski's deal would have automatically been made permanent for €35million (£30m). Spurs have now activated the option to buy him for the same amount, which is payable over five years.
Kulusevski is expected to play a starring role under Ange Postecoglou, who prides himself with his expansive football. Under Antonio Conte, the Sweden international struggled to express himself in the final third and he often found himself sitting far deeper than he may prefer.
With the former Celtic boss in the dugout, Peter Crouch is looking forward to the new style of play which will be on show next season, which Kulusevski can certainly benefit from. In an interview with Paddy Power, the former Liverpool striker said: "Ange Postecoglou is a decent appointment for Spurs.
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"A lot of Tottenham fans have been a bit underwhelmed by it, but I watched Celtic last year, and they will get exciting football at least with the new manager. They are miles short of where they want to be though.
"It wouldn’t matter what manager you bring in – that squad needs improving and has done for a while, so I’m not sure the expectations this season should be very high, unfortunately. What they will get is a bit more attacking football with Postecoglou in charge."
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