Dejan Kulusevski

Key strength: Chance creation and direct attacking impact (goals + assists)

Versatile attacking midfielder / wide creator

Tottenham Hotspur find themselves languishing in 16th place, and the absence of Dejan Kulusevski tells the story of what's missing. The Swedish attacking midfielder, valued at €50 million and contracted through 2028, has been reduced to a solitary appearance this season—a knee injury silencing the creativity Spurs desperately crave. His numbers this campaign read starkly: just 1 goal from 4 appearances and 270 minutes, a shadow of the player who has delivered 78 goals and 75 assists across 343 career outings. Postecoglou's system craves Kulusevski's direct running and chance creation, yet his recovery timeline leaves Tottenham exposed during their relegation-zone nightmare. When fit, Kulusevski forms a dynamic axis with midfield conductors Conor Gallagher and Pape Matar Sarr—partnerships that could ignite the revival White Hart Lane demands. For now, the €50m man watches from the sidelines, his Champions League exile extending until January 2026 adding another layer of frustration. Tottenham's climb back to respectability may well depend on when their Swedish talisman returns to unlock defenses and remind everyone why they invested so heavily in his future.