‘A lot of character’ – Paratici on what he expects from Kulusevski and Bentancur at Spurs
Fabio Paratici believes that Dejan Kulusevski and Rodrigo Bentancur will add a lot to the current Tottenham squad, insisting both players fit the criteria Spurs were looking for in the January transfer window.
Paratici knows both Kulusevski and Bentancur well, having signed the pair for Juventus during his tenure as the Serie A giants’ director of football.
The Italian decided to raid his former club for both players towards the end of the January window after seeing Tottenham’s pursuit of the likes of Adama Traore and Luiz Diaz collapse (The Athletic).
That might have led some to wonder whether the Juve duo were just panic buys from the 49-year-old but Tottenham’s managing director of football has insisted the opportunity to sign the pair was too good to turn down.
Paratici not only raved about the talent both players possess but also stated they would add a lot to the squad due to their character and ambition.
When asked about Tottenham’s two deadline day signings, he told Spurs TV: “Just one month and not three months like the summer and a lot of clubs don’t want to move some players. So it’s a market where we speak about opportunities.
“It’s normally in January that we’re more looking for a specific position. I think we found the right players in the right position.
“Players like Bentancur and Kulusevski, they are younger but they have a lot of experience because Bentancur plays five years in Juventus and almost 200 games and Kulusevski almost 100.
“They play for their national team and at the World Cup or European Championships. They are young players and we have to develop them for sure. They can improve in this league, in this squad, with this coach, but also they already have good experience.
“Rodrigo is a midfielder, a complete midfielder so he is box-to-box and he is a really reliable player.
“Dejan is just 21, with 10 goals and 10 assists for Juventus so he’s a really good prospect but also he is ready to play because he also played 35 games in Parma and he scored a lot. He’s really a big prospect in Europe.
“Both of the players have a lot of character, a lot of intensity. Dejan is a forward but he runs a lot, he fights a lot, he has a lot of personality, a big personality. He is very ambitious and this is the most important skill that he has.”
Spurs Web Opinion
It is evident from the first interviews that both new signings gave to Spurs TV that they are players who put the needs of the team above themselves. That is clearly the kind of ethos that Conte is trying to build at Spurs, which is perhaps why he was keen to offload the likes of Ndombele and Lo Celso.
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