Tottenham Hotspur return to action following the break on Saturday with an FA Cup clash in north London which could see their two new signings make their debuts.
And speaking ahead of the clash against Brighton & Hove Albion, Antonio Conte has been sharing his delight with the signing of Dejan Kulusevski.
Do you think Kulusevski could play RWB?
Yes
No
“About Kulusevski, he’s a good player. He’s very young. I think he’s a great talent. He can play as a No.9 if you want to play two strikers, No.10 if you want to play with two players behind the striker,” said the Italian (as per football.london).
This comes after Fabio Paratici was unable to bring in a new right wing-back in January amid Conte’s reported frustrations with the options he inherited at Spurs.
But could Kulusevski be the man to fill in there?
Kulusevski was bought as a versatile forward who predominantly has played on the right wing, though he has proven during his time in Italy he has the creative edge needed for a successful wing-back, with the vast majority of his league goals and assists coming while playing on the right side.
With Conte looking to bring Adama Traore to the club and convert him to a wing-back having done so in the past, it could be argued that he may be tempted to increase Kulusevski’s versatility in this way – but that might not be without its consequences…
No way back for Matt Doherty?
Matt Doherty has had a torrid time since arriving in north London from Wolverhampton Wanderers having really struggled to nail down a spot in the Spurs XI.
And there have been reports questioning his future in N17 recently, with claims suggesting a return to Molineux had been spoken about over the January transfer window.
If Kulusevski was to come in at right wing-back and prove successful in that position, that could leave Doherty heading for the exit with Emerson Royal only arriving in the summer.
No new RWB in the summer?
Another possibility that could come true if Kulusevski was to prove a success at right wing-back is whether Spurs would look to invest in the summer.
Conte has reportedly made it clear he believes right wing-back is an area that needs investment, and there have been reports suggesting Spurs may look to Tariq Lamptey in the summer.
However, it has been claimed the Brighton full-back would cost in the region of £50m, and if that was the case, would Spurs really look to spend heavily on a new right wing-back if Kulusevski was to prove a success?
Well, Daniel Levy would certainly be thrilled at the prospect of saving a potential £50m as he’s known for his tightness when it comes to money in the transfer market. Indeed, he was hesitant to stump up the £20m for Traore in the January transfer window and previously refused to splash the cash for Jack Grealish.
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