Tottenham are reportedly close to wrapping up the first signing of the Ange Postecoglou era in north London.
Tottenham are close to agreeing a deal with Juventus to sign Dejan Kulusevski on a permanent basis, according to reports. The north Londoners are said to have been negotiating with the Italian giants over the last few weeks as they look to kickstart Ange Postecoglou’s summer business by snapping up former loanee Kulusevski on a long-term deal.
Kulusevski is not believed to be in Juventus’ plans for the campaign ahead despite showing flashes of brilliance during his time in the Premier League over the last 18 months. Tottenham are eager to ensure that he stays at the club next season and are now just ‘one step away’ from completing a deal with Juventus for his signature, according to Sportitalia.
It is said that the ‘definitive sale’ of Kulusevski is fully expected to take place over the coming days, while Fabrizio Romano has claimed that Tottenham have successfully managed to drive Juventus’ asking price down to around £25million. The original loan deal reportedly included a £30m option to buy Kulusevski at the end of his temporary agreement with the club, although Daniel Levy is thought to have worked his magic in negotiating a reduced fee.
Tottenham had already invested around £8.5m in the winger’s loan spell and were said to be reluctant to pay over-the-odds to bring him in permanently in spite of their desire to keep him on their books. The report also claims that personal terms have already been settled upon with Kulusevski, who is now fully expected to remain at Hotspur Way in advance of next season.
The news comes after Tottenham bosses met with Juventus director Giovanni Manna to hold in-person talks regarding Kulusevski’s future last weekend, according to Gazzetta dello Sport. It remains to be seen how the Swede will fare under the guidance of Postecoglou next season, although he will surely be expected to play a key role at the top of the pitch as Tottenham look to get themselves back in the Premier League’s top four after a lacklustre campaign last time around.
Kulusevski was quizzed on whether he would be staying at Tottenham after their victory over Leeds United on the final day and admitted that he was unsure, although he made a point of underlining his love for the club to suggest that it would be a no-brainer to remain in north London for the foreseeable future.
“I’ve got to speak with the club, honestly we haven’t had time to do that because it’s been a very tough last few months,” he said. “We all just tried to do our best and get as many wins as possible, so I will speak with the club and we’ll see what the plan is from their side and from my side. We’ll see.
“Of course I love the club but I have to speak with the club and see what their thoughts are and how the future is looking. We’ve still got to speak about that.”
