Tottenham make decision on summer signing after explosive loan spell

Tottenham Hotspur boss Antonio Conte has already made his mind up over the future of on-loan winger Dejan Kulusevski, according to reports.

As per The Evening Standard, the Italian has been so impressed with the player’s explosive impact in North London, that he has already decided to make his stay in the capital a permanent one.

The report claims that Spurs will activate a clause in the Juventus player’s loan deal that allows them to sign him permanently for a fee of £24.9 million.

The Premier League side have already paid £8.3 million for the initial 18-month loan and, while the clause remains active for the duration of the spell, they would have to pay an increased fee of £29.1 million if they qualified for the Champions League next term and the player appeared in more than half of their games.

Kulusevski has been crucial to Spurs’ recent improved form, scoring three goals and providing six assists from his first 12 league games since arriving in the capital in January.

Conte already regards the 21-year-old as a permanent member of his squad, the report claims, and Spurs have therefore decided to make the deal permanent at the earliest opportunity.

Kulusevski is set to make his move to London a permanent one

The Swede endured a frustrating final six months in Turin, starting just five of Juventus’ first 23 league games, and revealed that he came to England with a point to prove.

“I think that I wanted to show everybody what I could do,” he said.

“I think I maybe became even more motivated. I love proving people wrong, so I was very hungry when I came here.

“But, still, I knew it would be very, very difficult to arrive in a new league and everything that comes with that.

“A lot of things had to click, and, honestly, everything has clicked so well. With the coaches, they found the perfect position for me.

“I think you can see, when I play, I play freely, without really thinking, without worrying about mistakes, I just play my game. That is when I play at my best. I am happy when I can do that.”

Spurs’ next game is a trip to face London rivals Brentford on Saturday, meaning a reunion with former midfielder Christian Eriksen could be on the cards.