Tottenham Hotspur

Tottenham Hotspur

Premier League • England

Ibrahimovic ‘obsessed’ about signing Tottenham star for AC Milan as daring bid drawn up

Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Dejan Kulusevski, Tottenham

AC Milan have been linked with Tottenham ace Dejan Kulusevski

Zlatan Ibrahimovic is reportedly eager to sign Dejan Kulusevski for AC Milan but his offer is unlikely to be enough to convince Tottenham Hotspur to sell.

According to Italian source Juve Live, the former Juventus man has long been admired by his Swedish compatriot Ibrahimovic. The legendary former striker has appreciated Kulusevski’s ability ever since he was developing at Swedish club IF Bromma before heading to Atalanta’s academy in July 2016.

Ibrahimovic is now a senior adviser to the Milan board, and he is apparently ‘obsessed’ about landing Kulusevski for the Italian giants.

Juve Live claim the Tottenham playmaker is ‘in the sights’ of Ibrahimovic and Milan as they prepare for life without Rafael Leao.

Left winger Leao remains a target for the likes of Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona, and while Kulusevski would not be a direct replacement, he could provide a different spark to the Milan attack.

The report adds that Milan will ambitiously start the bidding for Kulusevski at €50million (£42m / $54m).

However, that offer seems doomed to fail as the right winger – who can also play as a No 10 – is a key player for Ange Postecoglou and has seen his value soar in recent months.

Tottenham are in a strong position as Kulusevski’s contract does not expire until June 2028. The North London side are hard to negotiate with and will likely demand upwards of £70m (€84m / $90.9m) before even considering the 24-year-old’s exit.

Kulusevski shines after failed Arsenal approach

It is understandable that Milan would like to sign Kulusevski, as he is thriving under Postecoglou and has established himself as one of Spurs’ main sources of creativity.

Kulusevski may have only notched two goals and two assists in 13 games so far this term, but that does not tell the whole story. He is pivotal in helping Spurs tick and break through opposition defences.

Kulusevski got on the scoresheet during the 4-1 win over West Ham United on October 19 and starred in the No 10 role after James Maddison was taken off at half time.

After the match, both Glenn Hoddle and Peter Crouch praised the Stockholm-born ace.

“Ange would have loved that performance, that’s how he wants them to play,” Hoddle said. “They had the flow of the full-backs, Udogie picked up lovely positions, Son came to life, Kulusevski was outstanding today. A 4-1 win in a London derby, a great day all round.”

Crouch added: “They came out all guns blazing [in the second half], West Ham couldn’t control Kulusevski in that further role. It was a big call to take off Maddison at half time but it really worked, it freed up Kulusevski who was the best player on the pitch by a mile.”

However, he could have gone to Spurs’ rivals Arsenal. On Sunday, it emerged that Arsenal tried to sign Kulusevski in 2022 after missing out on Dusan Vlahovic to Juventus.

The Gunners made contact for Kulusevski but then Spurs chiefs Antonio Conte and Fabio Paratici ultimately won the race for him, something Postecoglou will be very thankful for.

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Tottenham transfers: Arsenal raid, Man City concern

Meanwhile, Spurs and Chelsea are both looking into the possibility of signing Arsenal goalkeeper Karl Hein.

The Spanish press claim Hein’s performances while on loan at Real Valladolid in La Liga have impressed Spurs and Chelsea scouts.

Arsenal are ‘aware’ of the interest in the 22-year-old and have set his price tag at around €15m (£12.5m / $16.2m). Although, Spurs or Chelsea may have to pay more given their rivalry with Mikel Arteta’s side.

While Hein is being eyed as a possible addition to Spurs’ squad, there is speculation Pedro Porro may leave.

As per Football Insider, Manchester City have been ‘laying the groundwork’ as they try to re-sign the right-back.

Porro has been identified by City as an ideal successor for Kyle Walker, who is now 34 years old.

Porro was previously on City’s books between August 2019 and July 2022, though he did not make a single first-team appearance. The Citizens will have to offer around £80m (€96m / $104m) to get Spurs thinking about potentially selling Porro.

Kulusevski a versatile and effective star

Dejan Kulusevski career stats by position
Dejan Kulusevski career stats by position