Tottenham Hotspur's transfer business over recent years has been somewhat patchy, as despite producing some of the club's finest players across their illustrious history, it has also marked a period of vast spending with little regard for a long-term plan.
As such, Daniel Levy's desperation to achieve his goals of a return to the top, whilst also competing for the silverware they have avoided so profusely since 2008, has arguably forced them into making even more blunders in the market.
In fact, all of their top ten most expensive purchases of all time have come since that success in the EFL Cup, with Moussa Sissoko's 2016 purchase the earliest of them all.
This includes embarrassing additions such as the £63m spent for Tanguy Ndombele, the £42m unloaded for Davinson Sanchez, and the £30m that the aforementioned Frenchman cost them too.
Ange Postecoglou is the man who has most recently been employed to solve their longstanding issues, forced to pick up the pieces after Jose Mourinho, Nuno Espirito Santo and Antonio Conte each took turns taking their respective toll on the Lilywhites.
All the hard work built up by Mauricio Pochettino was undone across a four-year period, with Levy once again returning to a progressive coach as his long-term solution. However, the playing squad he has inherited is not all bad.
In fact, some of those more expensive additions have already been made by the Australian, and have combined to help them reach the top of the Premier League table already after just eight games, having been knocked off their perch most recently with their game against Fulham yet to be played.
However, one man who has taken to his new ways with ease is Dejan Kulusevski, and he actually has Conte to thank for that one.
How much did Spurs pay for Dejan Kulusevski?
Having enjoyed a loan spell first in north London, trialling his talents in England before making the move permanent, his exemplary opening six months made it a deal that had to be made.
However, despite that run which saw him record 13 goal contributions in just 18 Premier League games, last season he would score just twice across the entire league campaign, throwing his value into doubt.
In the end, the decision actually came down to Postecoglou, who decided that the £25m commanded was a more than fair price for a winger of his quality.
Already the Sweden international is thanking the new manager for that show of faith, lauding it as "really, really fun" as his defensive duties have been reduced: "A little bit, of course, because it's more offensive. I don't have to be more as a wing-back when we're defending so I'm enjoying it a lot.
"I learn a lot of things every day. I like that because I'm still young, so it's still good to go every day, to hear new things and keep improving."
How much was Dejan Kulusevski worth at Juventus?
Having done his valuation no harm with his increased exposure to top-level football, it is interesting to look back and remember where the 23-year-old has come from, having started his career with Parma.
A subsequent £30m move to Turin was indicative of their faith in his future, which is not set to be enjoyed in north London.
As such, his potential and the fee they paid led Transfermarkt to suggest that he was worth €30m (£26m) in the month before he would first move to Spurs on loan.
Such a figure is further supported by the nine goals and ten assists he would muster across 74 senior appearances, with it clear how in favour he was at Juventus before moving to England.
How much is Dejan Kulusevski worth now?
As aforementioned, his switch to Spurs has seemingly put more eyes on Kulusevski's game, in turn boosting his valuation. Pundit and former Celtic hero would help to spread the word of the tricky winger, taking to his Twitter just last year to write: "Kulusevski looks a special player. Spurs were very good but helped by Everton who were absolutely gutless."
An ability to perform in the Premier League is an invaluable asset, and that is exactly what the £110k-per-week maestro is.
2023
€80m (£69m)
60% increase
2022
€50m (£43m)
65% increase
2021
€30m (£26m)
N/A
Conte even foresaw such a future, noting last year: "He is doing great things, he has a lot of potential. He is a crack and has a great desire to improve, he sets himself the goal of becoming an important player. It was an excellent investment for Tottenham."
Therefore, it should come as no surprise to see that his value has soared, with CIES Football Observatory already detailing a now €80m (£69m) figure. This already marks a £44m increase from the initial £25m they had to pay at the start of last summer to secure his services.
Why is Dejan Kulusevski worth that much?
All of these glowing testimonies, and that blistering first six months, combine to outline exactly why Kulusevski has seen such a sharp upturn in value.
However, what has spurred it on most recently is his performances since Postecoglou's arrival, with the trickster thriving in a system that facilitates attacking football.
And yet, the 33-cap ace refuses to shirt his defensive work, combining his 2.6 key passes per game with 1.4 tackles and 4.5 ball recoveries per game, via Sofascore.
It is clear that they have already struck gold off the pitch, with that value only set to continue rising, but on the field too are they thriving, with Kulusevski a key component in what Postecoglou has already achieved.
The former Celtic man would outline this following their narrow win over Luton Town earlier this month: "That’s the thing with Deki, he’s going to give you everything and more. And he does that every week.
“That doesn’t go unnoticed by the group and what we do. I think sometimes externally, because he’s a winger, people look at other aspects of his game. But just the sheer work-rate that he puts in for the team, and the selfless running that he does. He had to do the running of two men today. And I’d be surprised if he hasn’t cracked some records in terms of his running. We needed that and he gave that."
With the work rate and mindset to reach lofty heights, and the skillset to match, the future is exceedingly bright for the high-value right winger.
