Spurs Are Brewing A Homegrown Kulusevski In 16-year-old "cheat-code"

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Their Premier League position might suggest otherwise, but Tottenham Hotspur are blessed with a number of incredibly talented players.

From the likes of Djed Spence, Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero at the back to Dominic Solanke and Son Heung-min in attack, there is talent throughout the Lilywhites’ squad.

That is especially true in the middle of the park, as Lucas Bergvall, James Maddison and Pape Matar Sarr all possess game-changing qualities.

Tottenham Hotspur's James Maddison celebrates scoring their second goal with teammates

Yet, perhaps the club’s best player is none other than Dejan Kulusevski, and in an exciting development, it appears as if Hotspur Way could be about to provide Ange Postecoglou with a homegrown version of the Swede.

What makes Kulusevski so great?

So, when it comes down to what makes Kulusevski such an incredible player, there are a couple of core reasons, with the first being his positional versatility.

The former Juventus star was initially signed as a winger back in 2022 and has played off the right more than anywhere else for the North Londoners, but, especially this year, he’s thrived in several other positions, notably midfield.

In all, the Stockholm-born star has played 70 games as a right-winger for the Lilywhites, 40 games in attacking midfield, five in central midfield and up top, two off the left and in right-midfield, and he’s even made one appearance as a second striker.

Kulusevski’s versatility at Spurs
Position	Games	Goals	Assists
Right Winger	70	11	15
Attacking Midfield	40	9	7
Centre-Forward	5	2	2
Central Midfield	5	1	3
Left Winger	2	0	0
Right Midfield	2	0	0
Second Striker	1	0	1
All Stats via Transfermarkt

The second reason the 25-year-old is such an incredible player for Postecoglou and Co is that, on top of being able to fill in all over the pitch, he’s got the ability to produce as well.

For example, in 42 appearances this season, the “world-class” ace, as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, has scored ten goals and provided ten assists, making him the second-most productive player in the squad, behind only his captain.

In short, Kulusevski is not just one of Spurs’ best players but one of the league’s best players, so it’s good news that Hotspur Way might be brewing their version of the Swede.

Spurs’ homegrown Kulusevski

While the most-talked-about academy product at Spurs this season has been the incredible Mikey Moore, it could be the lesser-known Luca Williams-Barnett next season.

It’s the 16-year-old phenom who could well be the club’s own Kulusevski, and there are a few reasons why.

The first is that like the Swedish international, the promising teenager can play in a handful of positions, from attacking midfield to either wing, up top and even left-midfield, lending credence to academy expert and pundit John Wenham’s description of him as a “cheat-code.”

Williams-Barnett’s record for the U18s
Appearances	24
Minutes	1887′
Goals	20
Assists	10
Goal Involvements per Match	1.25
Minutes per Goal Involvement	62.9′
All Stats via Transfermarkt

However, the second and undoubtedly more important similarity to the former Juve star is that he’s already proving to be an incredibly effective attacking outlet for the youth sides.

For example, in just 24 appearances for the U18s, totalling 1887 minutes, the unreal talent, whom analyst Ben Mattinson described as “a name to keep an eye on,” has scored 20 goals and provided ten assists.

That means he’s averaging 1.25 goal involvements every game, or one every 62.9 minutes, which is the sort of form that could see him propelled into the first team next season.

Ultimately, while this season has been a disaster, Spurs have several incredibly talented players in their senior squad, and if Williams-Barnett continues on his brilliant trajectory, then there is every chance he could be playing alongside Kulusevski next year.