Tottenham Hotspur supporters know that the smart thing to do is let Dejan Kulusevski relax and recover slowly from a serious, career threatening knee injury that has cost the Swedish international well over a year of action. And Spurs manager Roberto De Zerbi has pretty much confirmed that the plan with Kulu is 100 percent to take it slow.
Yet the images of him actually dribbling and shooting with the ball on the grass and then running alongside Mohammed Kudus are too much to ignore. After months of no updates and the worst kind of fears, Kulusevski is getting closer to being healthy and out there on the pitch to help Spurs.
Even though Spurs signed Kudus for big money from rivals West Ham United last summer and watched him immediately become their best player in a dismal 2025/26 Premier League season, the Ghanaian international effectively replacing Kulusevski in the Spurs starting XI is not a bad thing at all for the former Juventus, Parma, and Atalanta man.
Mohammed Kudus is best for business
In fact, it is a blessing in disguise for Dejan Kulusevski, and he can consider both the signing and the immediate rise to stardom of Mohammed Kudus to be the best thing to happen to him at this critical juncture in his career.
Aside from the fact that Kulu did not even primarily play as a right winger by the end of the 2024/25 season under Ange Postecoglou, Kudus's presence as a rising star and pretty much the undisputed starter on the right wing even if everyone were 100 percent fit is a total relief of pressure of Kulusevski. The 26 year old has no reason to fear and no reason to feel pressure as he works his way back to playing strength on this knee.
Kudus takes all the pressure and attention off him. Kulusevski can come in, ease himself back into a key role, and even mostly play against weaker teams as he builds his confidence. Eventually, yes, he would have to compete with Kudus directly for minutes on the right wing if he actually wants to start again, but given fans wanted an upgrade even when he was healthy in 2024/25, a key rotational role behind Kudus may suit him better - and it may even prolong his career by managing his load after such a devastating injury just a year ago. Kudus can help Kulu find a new role, a new purpose, and still keep a full career with Spurs.
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