Arsenal made stunning attempt to sign Tottenham ace now thriving under Postecoglou

A top source has revealed Arsenal were beaten to the punch by Tottenham for a forward now thriving under Ange Postecoglou, though the Gunners might not have too many regrets given the player they signed one year later.

Arsenal pushed to sign striker Dusan Vlahovic – then of Fiorentina – back in the winter window of 2022. Ultimately, the Serbian would go on to join Juventus and has remained a player of interest to the Gunners ever since.

According to Sky Italia’s Gianluca Di Marzio, Arsenal responded to the disappointment of missing out on Vlahovic by attempting to poach a player from Juventus – Dejan Kulusevski.

But per the reporter, Tottenham – led by Fabio Paratici and Antonio Conte – barged their bitter rivals aside to strike a deal with Juve.

Kulusevski would join Spurs on an 18-month loan on January 31 of 2022, with the deal containing a loan fee worth €10m along with an option to buy worth €35m.

Kulusevski officially joined Tottenham outright in the summer of 2023 and after being converted into a central playmaker under Postecoglou, has quickly developed into a chance-creating machine.

The 24-year-old – who is also a growing presence for his country having captained Sweden during the last international break – sits fifth in the Premier League this season in the chances created category with 23.

Bukayo Saka leads the way with 27, with second, third and fourth spots taken by Dwight McNeil, Andreas Pereira and Cole Palmer.

READ MORE: The key contract details of every Tottenham first-team player: Expiry dates, weekly wages, agents…

Who Arsenal signed instead

It’s a case of what might have been for Arsenal, though the the position Kulusevski is now thriving in is wrapped up by the imperious Martin Odegaard at the Emirates.

Kulusevski was originally a right winger at the time the two north London clubs were battling for his signature. As such, he would’ve originally come in direct competition with Saka if brought to Arsenal. It’s possible his transition into a central playmaker may have happened far sooner at the Emirates.

Nonetheless, Arsenal would go on to sign Marquinhos six months after Kulusevski joined Tottenham. The Brazilian has made zero impact at Arsenal, though Leandro Trossard – who arrived six months after that – has exceeded all expectations.

The Belgian has come in for criticism in recent weeks, with his errant back-pass resulting in William Saliba’s red card against Bournemouth. Trossard also missed a penalty last time out against Shakhtar Donetsk.

Nonetheless, it is inarguable Trossard’s impact at Arsenal has been an overwhelmingly positive one and he’s become synonymous with scoring important goals off the bench.

Latest Tottenham and Arsenal news

In other news, Tottenham are reportedly desperately trying to fend off Manchester City’s interest in right-back Pedro Porro.

The Spaniard has been identified as a viable replacement for Kyle Walker who has been transfer-listed for £15m.

Elsewhere, Arsenal have been told the form of Gabriel Jesus is a “big problem” for Mikel Arteta. The Brazilian has not scored or assisted despite making 10 appearances this season.

Finally, German outlet Kicker claim Tottenham won’t stand in Timo Werner’s way if exit opportunities arise in January.

Werner is part-way through a season-long loan, though has made little impact this season. Amid the emergence of 17-year-old sensation Mikey Moore, Werner’s minutes are only going one way.