For a transition season, Tottenham Hotspur have done alright in the Premier League this year.
New boss Ange Postecoglou might be going through a bit of a sticky patch at present and facing the possibility of five losses on the bounce, but his team's incredible ten-game unbeaten streak at the start of the season serves as an example of what he might be able to achieve with the proper backing.
That said, while new players will need to be signed, the club has an array of highly talented stars to hand, and one of them is currently worth as much as two of Arsenal's starters combined.
Dejan Kulusevski's Spurs career
The player in question is Swedish star Dejan Kulusevksi, who has made quite a name for himself in N17.
The Lilywhites first brought the winger to North London on an 18-month loan with an option to buy on deadline day in January 2022 before making the deal permanent in June last year for a reported fee of around £25m.
The dynamic attacker got off to a flying start in his first six months at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. In just 20 appearances, he scored five goals and provided eight assists, helping the club qualify for the final Champions League spot ahead of the Gunners.
In his first full campaign, the "special player", as described by Sky Sports reporter Jamie Weir, couldn't quite keep up the rate of return he showed in his first six months, but still ended the season with a respectable haul of two goals and eight assists in 37 games.
This year, the 24-year-old's performances have been somewhat inconsistent, but he has still managed to bag six goals and three assists in 36 appearances for Postecoglou's new-look Lilywhites.
Season
21/22
22/23
23/24
Appearances
20
37
36
Goals
5
2
6
Assists
8
8
3
Goal Involvements per Match
0.65
0.27
0.25
Overall, the 37-capped Swede has proven to be a good signing for the white side of North London, and his recent valuation reflects that fact.
Dejan Kulusevski's transfer valuation in 2024
According to the CIES Football Observatory, Kulusevski is now worth €80m, which is around £69m, and makes the winger the joint most valuable player at Spurs, alongside left-back Destiny Udogie.
1
Dejan Kulusevski
€80m (£69m)
2
Brennan Johnson
€60m (£52m)
3
Richarlison
€40m (£34m)
4
Timo Werner
€30m (£26m)
4
Heung-min Son
€30m (£26m)
5
Bryan Gil
€10m (£9m)
5
Manor Solomon
€10m (£9m)
For further context, this valuation means that the Lilywhites ace is now twice as valuable as Arsenal's starters Ben White and Leandro Trossard, or worth as much as the pair combined.
This is despite the Belgian's red-hot form and 18 goal involvements in 2023/24 to date. It's perhaps more impressive considering White's growing reputation this season, which will surely delight the Spurs faithful among you.
White, who has notably decided to exclude himself from the England set-up, has arguably been "the best right-back" in the division this term according to some, so for Kulusevski to be worth more than him isn't bad work indeed.
Ultimately, while fans and pundits will be well aware of the Swede's immense talent from just watching him play football, the fact that he is now worth so much – and more than a pair of rival stars – just affirms that Daniel Levy and Co made the right choice when they made his deal permanent.
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