Tottenham: Conte ‘given reminder’ by £29m star ahead of Southampton | OneFootball

Icon: GiveMeSport

GiveMeSport

·6 August 2022

Tottenham: Conte ‘given reminder’ by £29m star ahead of Southampton

Article image:Tottenham: Conte ‘given reminder’ by £29m star ahead of Southampton

Tottenham Hotspur winger Dejan Kulusevski has impressed in pre-season and sent Antonio Conte a reminder following the signing of Richarlison this summer, according to Charlie Eccleshare of The Athletic.

It has been a busy summer for Tottenham but one of their January acquisitions has caught the eye ahead of their season-opener against Southampton.


OneFootball Videos


How are Tottenham looking after pre-season?

Fabio Paratici has been a busy man this summer as he negotiates deals for the players Conte wants for his side. But he has done so with great success.

More than £90 million has been splashed on six new signings including Yves Bissouma, Richarlison and Djed Spence.

Pre-season has been a typically intense one under Conte. During their trip to South Korea the Italian made his players run sprints of the pitch until they physically couldn’t, leading to some stars throwing up.

That fitness will be much-needed, however, with the Champions League back on the agenda at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and they will want to compete on all fronts.

Results have been mixed, with their final two games resulting in a win over Rangers and defeat to Roma, but there will be no panicking just yet.

What has Eccleshare said on Kulusevski?

Eccleshare says Kulusevski has taken to pre-season like he has a point to prove following the arrival of Richarlison this summer and that he remains integral to Conte’s front-three.

Eccleshare told GIVEMESPORT: “He picked up a slight injury but then came into the team against Sevilla and just instantly gave a real reminder as to why he’s so important to that front three, why that duet of Kane and Son has become a trio because he really does stitch it all together.

“What I liked about it was it felt a little bit like a response to the Richarlison signing, a bit of: ‘don’t forget me lads. I’m still here and still hoping to build on last season.’ So that was something that jumped out to me.”

1 of 15

Article image:Tottenham: Conte ‘given reminder’ by £29m star ahead of Southampton

Do you know this obscure Tottenham footballer from the 1990s?

Dave Tuttle Jeff Minton Ian Hendon David McDonald

What does the future hold for Kulusevski?

The Swede quickly found his feet in the Premier League last season, scoring five goals and providing a further eight assists in all competitions.

The 22-year-old only remains on loan from Juventus and will do for another year but Tottenham have an obligation to buy him for £29 million at the end of that period if certain criteria are met.

It is likely that they will, but it is frankly a bargain price with Kulusevski showing consistently to be cut out for the very top of the game.

View publisher imprint