Spurs could see £25m bid accepted to sign Kulusevski next De Zerbi

Tottenham Hotspur are ready to take on Sunderland this weekend, although new manager Roberto De Zerbi will have to do so without a string of first-team stars James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski.

The question remains as to whether, despite signing a five-year deal in north London, the Italian will be in charge when the pair return to full form, with neither player playing at all under Thomas Frank or Igor Tudor.

In the case of Kulusevski, in particular, this long absence is really worrying since Sweden has qualified for the next World Cup, it remains to be seen if this 25-year-old player will be able to return to work before the end of the season.

A good-looking, good-looking footballer, the Scandinavian genius has slipped into the forgotten ranks of the N17, and the Lilywhites are now looking to strike a deal for a potential replacement.

Spurs could see bid accepted for £25m star De Zerbi

All eyes are on Sunday’s trip to the Stadium of Light, although looking ahead, work is already underway on potential reinforcements to bolster De Zerbi’s stature this summer.

A no-nonsense deal, as reported earlier this week, could involve Italian loanee Marseille man Arthur Vermeeren, with the player likely to leave parent club RB Leipzig for around £25m.

That’s the same fee that saw Spurs pay Kulusevski’s fellow Swede Benjamin Nygren from Glasgow giants Celtic, with SportsBoom naming the north Londoners among a host of clubs interested in the 24-year-old this summer.

According to the report, the former Nordsjaelland man is also attracting interest from the likes of Valencia, Lille, Bournemouth and De Zerbi’s former club Brighton, who enjoyed a successful first season at Parkhead following his £1m switch last year.

Any deal could see the Scottish Premiership side make a huge profit, with the episode revealing that Celtic are likely to open negotiations for around £25m, the board will not stand in his way if Nygren receives an ‘irresistible offer’.

The versatile striker is likely to see his £20k-a-week wages at least triple, should he move to the Premier League or LaLiga, with his agent said to have already held meetings in London last month.

Why Nygren could be another Kulusevski for Spurs

It’s easy to forget, given the length of his absence, just how important Kulusevski has been to Spurs over the years, especially with 44 goals and assists in his 116 Premier League appearances so far.

The left-footed striker proved to be a smart signing following his first arrival on loan from Juventus back in January 2022, boasting the adaptability and versatility to feature in a variety of roles in midfield and forward, be it operating as a number ten or right winger.

That’s a trait he certainly shares with teammate Nygren, who is a talented 6 foot 1 and is comfortable across the front line, whether as a box eight or number ten.

It is in that latter category that the left-footed striker has shone so far this season, even amid a difficult and turbulent campaign for Celtic, which has now reached 19 goals in all competitions.

15 of these have come from Scotland’s top flight, ensuring Nygren is the second top scorer in this division as things stand, behind Motherwell’s Tawanda Maswanhise.

Like Kulusevski, he isn’t exactly blessed with incredible speed or athleticism, however he makes up for it with his goalscoring ability and ability to create goals, as he has scored 27 goals and assisted a total of 51 games in his first game in green and white.

Back in Denmark, he scored 43 goals in 107 games, and at his first club, Gothenburg, he registered 11 goals and assisted them in 15 games for the Swedish team.

There have been spells in Holland and Belgium in between, although now is where he really looks to emerge as a true star in the making, ensuring that the £25m deal can be considered a bargain for De Zerbi and the rest.

Indeed, considering the lack of depth in De Zerbi’s front line, especially on the right, adding Nygren to the fold with Kulusevski as a second marker would represent an excellent first summer signing for the former Marseille boss.

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