Arsenal have recently been linked with a move for Dejan Kulusevski, with the Sweden international’s struggles to cement a place in the Juventus starting XI looking to set to continue this season.
Kulusevski has featured in all but one of Juve’s 12 Serie A outings this season, though he’s so far been afforded just two starts.
A move away could be just what he’s looking for, and Mikel Arteta’s interest in Noa Lang suggests he’s keen to bolster his options on the wing.
With a £30m deal being touted, would Kulusevski be the right fit for a club who wouldn’t be able to guarantee him star status?
The Arsenal Way presenter and writer Tom Canton (TC) spoke with editor in chief of Get Italian Football News Kaus Pandey (KP) on the latest YouTube stream to discuss Arsenal’s links with Kulusevski.
KP: “When Kulusevski joined Juventus initially, people expected a lot of him when I think Juventus themselves were undergoing a transition.
“Andrea Pirlo changed the system quite a bit before arriving at a sound system and formation that he wanted to play on a regular basis. Kulusevski could never really pin down a position. Pirlo often played him as a wing-back, then on the right-wing.
“In some games, he played as a right-sided striker. I think that didn’t help him and sometimes I think our perception of Kulusevski was inflated by that 2019/20 Parma season. On paper, he still looks like quite a good player.
“There are still a lot of uncertainties.”
Given Kaus’ comments on Kulusevski’s inability to nail down his position in the Juve team, Tom was keen to explore whether a deal for the Swede would be good business for Arsenal.
TC: “Would you question why Arsenal are looking to spend £25 million or £30 million on Kulusevski? They’ve already spent £72 million on Pepe. If you’re seeing a link with not only Kulusevski but a player like Noa Lang too, it does indicate that Mikel Arteta is looking to move on from Pepe in the near future.
“Is it a big risk for Arsenal to take on a player like Kulusevski?”
KP: “I think it’s a big risk. I think Kulusevski needs a club at this point where he is the star of the team. Maybe a bit like Parma, where they relied on him for pretty much everything. He scored just ten goals in the league that season and that’s not exceptional in any way – I mean, it’s pretty good for a 19-year-old.
“You can understand why the likes of Inter Milan and Manchester United were linked with him. He needs to be at a club where either the system suits him or he’s the star of the team.
“That’s when I look at a club like Fiorentina. I think at Arsenal, because of what Mikel Arteta is trying to build, I think the system does suit him but I don’t think he’ll be the star of that team.
“I don’t think that will help Kulusevski at this point. In my personal opinion, he needs to be at a club the size of Everton or Fiorentina who actually need a right-sided winger at this point.
“Or maybe Sassuolo who are aiming to get into Europe next season. I think Arsenal are pretty much at the same stage but they’re not Fiorentina.”
Follow The Arsenal Way team members Tom and Renuka as well as Get Italian Football News’ Kaus on Twitter to get involved in the discussion and give us your thoughts in the comments section below.
Also, make sure you have subscribed to The Arsenal Way! The Fan Brands team along with plenty of your football.london favourites will be producing daily Arsenal content for you to enjoy including match reactions, podcasts, football fun and interviews.