Tottenham are going to have to make some tough decisions in the summer 2025 transfer window and bring in players who can win them matches on individual quality. Part of Tottenham's summer wheeling and dealing may involve tough sacrifices in getting rid of quality players, and one of those players could be Dejan Kulusevski.
The Swedish international is a versatile ball progressor and secondary creator who can play as a box-to-box midfielder but is best on the right wing. However, Kulusevski looks like more of a solid rotational player than an everygame starter on the right wing for a club with aspirations of finishing in the top five of the Premier League every season and competing in the Champions League.
So Kulusevski, as sad as it is to say (especially with him now undergoing knee surgery), could be expendable this summer. Tottenham are already looking at some of the best options on the market, including young Lyon star Rayan Cherki.
Tottenham, Arsenal, and Chelsea could compete for Bayern star
Now, according to a report from Dominik Schneider of Fussball Transfers, Tottenham are among the big clubs who have been offered the chance to sign Bayern Munich star right winger Leroy Sane amidst difficult contract negotiations between the German national team star and the biggest club in the Bundesliga.
Sane recently hired super agent Pini Zahavi - the one who helped orchestrate Robert Lewandowski's sudden blockbuster move from Bayern to Barcelona in 2022 - and that seems to have been the catalyst for a change in negotiations after Die Roten were initially confident they'd be able to keep the 29-year-old star on a club-friendly contract.
Instead, Sane has new transfer demands for his contract that don't fit with what Bayern are looking to pay as they transition to a younger future. Tottenham, who have strong interest in keeping Bayern left wing loanee Mathys Tel, now have the chance to sign Bayern's starting right winger as a free agent. London rivals Arsenal and Chelsea, as well as Europa League Final opponents Manchester United, have also been offered the former Manchester City star.
While Sane is a big name and can be signed for free, he's going to be expensive when you truly break the numbers down. Free agents get paid higher wages than other players, and with Zahavi as his agent, the additional fees are going to be high. Sane is an accomplished player at the Champions League level and has options, so Spurs aren't going to get a wage discount with clubs like Chelsea and Newcastle involved.
It makes more sense for Tottenham to pass. Sane was a bigger difference-maker when he was younger, and while he can still be a matchwinner, there's a reason why Bayern aren't giving in to his demands to pay him like a top player. He isn't a top player anymore and would have no resale value, giving him major transfer bust potential as a free agent since he's a 29-year-old commanding high wages. All told, Tottenham are better off looking elsewhere at Cherki - or even keeping Kulusevski.