Tottenham will be wary of losing their big stars this summer if the worst happens and they get relegated from the Premier League
Dejan Kulusevski will remain at Tottenham next season even if they get relegated, believes Italian journalist Gianluca Di Marzio.
Kulusevski has missed the entire campaign so far following a complicated patella injury suffered in May last year. The Swede's return date has been pushed back and back after he kept returning to the grass and feeling discomfort in his knee. The 25-year-old was spotted limping recently after a minor procedure to clean out his knee but assured the Swedish media that it was part of the process.
The attacker has been hugely missed by relegation-threatened Spurs and he stated that he hopes to be back in time for the World Cup this summer.
football.london reported this week that Kulusevski's knee issues and lack of football would likely make it risky for any potential suitor this summer to offer big money for him, even if 18th-placed Tottenham did go down. The talented playmaker would be a huge boost to Spurs in either division as he works his way back to sharpness and there could also be a sense of giving back on his part to the club's supporters after missing so much of a difficult season.
Now Italian journalist Di Marzio has also stated that he thinks Kulusevski will be at Tottenham next season regardless of what happens in the coming six matches.
“I definitely think Kulusevski will stay at Tottenham, even if they get relegated. He is a good example for other players and Roberto De Zerbi likes him. He has the right mentality, so I think Kulusevski can be one of the most important players for their project, regardless if they are in the Premier League or the Championship.
"De Zerbi will really try to keep him. He loves players like him who have a strong identity and personality. He will definitely try to keep him," he told bettingsidor.se.
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Di Marzio also believes that former Spurs sporting director Fabio Paratici could try to snap up Kulusevski's compatriot Lucas Bergvall if Spurs were to go down. The 20-year-old has a long contract at the north London club until 2031, but Di Marzio thinks Paratici will make a move if Tottenham did decide to sell one of their best young players.
"To be honest, at the moment De Zerbi and the club are only focusing on staying in the Premier League. They are not really listening to offers, and they haven't even decided on which players they want to keep and sell," he said. "But De Zerbi knows Lucas Bergvall very well as a player and he likes him as a player. He likes working with young, talented players. So, I think he really wants to watch him closely to get an understanding of whether he can play in his system. De Zerbi still thinks it is too early to make a decision on Lucas Bergvall."
He added: "Obviously, a lot of clubs wanted Bergvall before he joined Tottenham and some of them could still be interested, but we are not speaking of top clubs here. Udinese wanted him, Atalanta wanted him, but Tottenham were just extremely quick to make the deal.
"If I should mention one club that I think could potentially get Lucas Bergvall if Tottenham gets relegated, then I think Fiorentina is an option. Their sporting director Fabio Paratici likes him and likes young players. So, they could decide to get him, if his future doesn't lie at Tottenham. If he is in the market, Fiorentina will try to get him. Barcelona wanted him before he joined Tottenham, but they are not in for him at the moment."