Spurs wanted to sign £400k-p/w UCL star but got Kulusevski instead

It was only a couple of weeks ago that words like ‘crisis’ and ‘pressure’ were being thrown around to describe Tottenham Hotspur’s start to the season and Ange Postecoglou’s position as manager.

However, flash forward four wins in four games, and things in N17 are now looking far rosier, with the Australian’s side starting to play the fluid, attacking, and effective football they did at the start of last season.

The manager has made a few changes to the side in recent weeks, perhaps the most significant being the relocation of Dejan Kulusevski from the wing to the heart of midfield, where he has been utterly sublime.

However, before the club initially signed the Swedish superstar, they were interested in and could have actually signed another international winger, who might not have worked out as well.

Kulusevski’s recent form

It would probably be fair to say that last season was not Kulusevski’s best campaign to date, as while he still managed to rack up a respectable haul of eight goals and three assists in 39 appearances, he had a quiet second half of the year.

For example, in his 17 league appearances after New Year’s Day, the Swede could only muster a paltry return of three goals and one assist, although considering the team’s overall form at that point, it might be unfair to pin that entirely on him.

Fortunately, despite his drop in form, Postecoglou persevered with the former Juventus ace, and so far this season, he has made eight appearances, in which he has already scored once and provided two assists.

However, one of the most notable things about his appearances so far is his new position in the heart of midfield.

For example, he has started five of those eight games in either central or attacking midfield, and considering he created the most chances of any away player at Old Trafford for 20 years on Sunday, he’s been undeniably superb in his new role.

Overall, things are looking up for Spurs and Kulusevski at the moment, but before the North Londoners signed the 24-year-old star, they were keen on another talented winger.

Spurs wanted to sign Ousmane Dembélé

Yes, before he made his way back to France to join Paris Saint-Germain, Tottenham could have signed then-Barcelona winger Ousmane Dembélé.

According to a report from The Athletic, the North Londoners were so interested in the Frenchman that, in early January 2022, they inquired about his availability as, at the time, it was public knowledge that the Catalan club wanted him to either sign a new long-term deal or leave for a fee.

Unfortunately for the five-time European Champions, by the time they offered his services to Spurs on January 30th, the club turned them down, believing that adding another star to ‘a position where they were already reasonably well-stocked’ was pointless, especially as he was on an eye-watering £192k-per-week at the time.

Moreover, the reason the Lilywhites were suddenly so well covered in that position was down to the signing of Kulusevski, which was officially announced the following day, and based on the last few years, it looks like Daniel Levy and Co made the right choice for a few key reasons.

The first is that, for as talented as the “incredible” Frenchman is, as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, he had a simply atrocious injury record in Spain and across his career to date, he has missed a whopping 141 games due to an array of hamstring, knee and muscle problems. In comparison, the Swede has missed just 17 games in his career so far.

Now, in his defence, the World Cup winner did manage to remain fit last season, but given the nature of his injuries and their frequency, it feels more like when and not if he suffers another significant setback.

The second reason is a financial one, as following his £43.5m move to Paris Saint-Germain last summer, the former Borussia Dortmund ace was handed a mammoth £401k-per-week contract – including bonuses – which would have utterly decimated the Lilywhites’ reasonable wage structure and in turn potentially cause issues down the line with future signings.

Lastly, not only is the Vernon-born dynamo three years older than Spurs’ talented number 21, but he has also fallen out with Luis Enrique in Paris and was subsequently removed from the squad that faced Arsenal in the Champions League, which does not seem like the sort of personality that Postecoglou would want in his team.

Ultimately, while Dembélé is an undeniably talented player, his injury issues, outrageously high wages, and recent fallout with his manager are all reasons why Spurs made the right choice when they signed Kulusevski instead back in 2022.