Tottenham Hotspur ’s rise up the league table and revival in form has had a big contribution from January transfer window signing Dejan Kulusevski, after recording three goals and six assists in 11 starts for Antonio Conte ’s side.
The 21-year-old has certainly hit the ground running in north London and has formed part of a deadly front three alongside Harry Kane and Son Heung-Min, but his teammates were already aware of his quality before he even made an appearance for the club.
And the latter of those two, Son, has revealed that he knew the Juventus loanee had “something” to his game after being “really impressed” in just his first training session at the club.
For the first part of the season, Spurs relied on just Kane and Son for their source of goals, but since Kulusevski came in, he has added a whole new dynamic to Conte’s team. Speaking to Stadium Astro, the South Korean explained how Kulusevski had adapted to life in England.
He said: “He has something. With that young age, it’s not easy to be a Juventus player. When he trained the first time, it’s obviously not the best feeling because when new players come, you look at it by zooming in. What he’s good at and what he’s not good at. I was really impressed because it was a really good session from him in training.
“In the game, I know how tough the Premier League is and I suffer so much. I feel like I am still suffering because it’s the toughest league in the world. But Kulu had adapted really well after three months. Don’t forget, he has only been in the Premier League for three months. He’s really enjoying it and playing with freedom.”
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Spurs went on a run of winning seven games from nine fixtures between February 19 to April 9 to lift themselves into fourth and put themselves in the driving seat for a top four finish. In that time, they scored 28 goals, of which their front three of Kulusevski, Kane and Son contributed 18, along with a combined total of 15 assists.
It represents a remarkable record for the trio, which had them dubbed by many as the best front three in the league, rivalling the likes of Liverpool and Manchester City. However, Spurs have hit a slight roadblock in their last two games, falling to a 1-0 defeat at home to Brighton, before a 0-0 draw away to Brentford.
In those two matches, they have failed to record a single shot on target, as teams have been able to deal with the threat of their front three and nullify their attacks. It has come as a surprise considering the recent form of the three players in question, but it is hoped that it will extend no further than those two games.
Nonetheless, Kulusevski has still been a very impressive signing for the club and it can be fully expected that Spurs will make his loan deal permanent in the summer, as it is clear that Conte is able to get the best out of him, while he has also formed an instant partnership with Kane and Son.
In the first half of this season, the Swedish international recorded just two goals and three assists in 27 appearances for Juventus. His three goals and six assists in 15 appearances since joining Spurs is already a vast improvement, and it seems that the 21-year-old has been keen to show his true self since moving to England.
Spurs are two points behind fourth-placed Arsenal with five games left of the season, and Kulusevski and co are running out of time to rediscover that excellent form that got them into this position in the first place. The Juventus loanee has plenty of talent, and he’s going to need to hit top form once again if Spurs are to achieve their top four ambition.
