With Harry Kane dominating the headlines at Tottenham Hotspur this summer, one deal that went somewhat under the radar was the permanent capture of Sweden international, Dejan Kulusevski, following the winger's 18-month loan spell at N17.
Having been signed by Antonio Conte and then-sporting director Fabio Paratici from Juventus back in January 2022, the fleet-footed forward went on to play a crucial role as the Lilywhites secured Champions League qualification in the second half of that campaign.
Forming part of an exciting attacking triumvirate involving the deadly duo of Kane and Heung-min Son, the 23-year-old plundered five goals and eight assists in just 18 Premier League appearances to quickly cement himself as a key figure in north London.
That was followed by a rather disappointing 2022/23 season, however – in which the wide man scored just twice and provided seven assists in the league – with it perhaps yet to be seen whether he truly warranted a permanent deal at the club.
How much did Tottenham pay for Kulusevski?
After a period of negotiation – which did spark doubts over whether the move would occur – the one-time Parma starlet ultimately signed on the dotted line for a reported fee of £25m, with Spurs having sought a reduction on the £29.2m option to buy that was included as part of the initial loan move.
That deal had emerged despite claims made by 90min back in June that manager Ange Postecoglou was 'not too convinced' by the 30-cap international, with the player seemingly needing to attempt to win over his new boss.
It looks as if the Swede has earned the faith of the ex-Celtic coach so far this term after starting all four league games to date, albeit while scoring just once and failing to provide a single assist in that time.
Amid the winger's mixed fortunes over the past 12 months or so, there is an argument to be made that the signing of an attacking alternative could well have been a better approach, with the club having also reportedly shown an interest in long-time target, Jarrod Bowen, during the recent window.
Did Tottenham want to sign Jarrod Bowen?
According to The Athletic's Charlie Eccleshare – writing back in late June – Postecoglou and co had been considering the England international as an option to help strengthen their forward options, after also showing an interest in then-Leicester City man, Harvey Barnes.
As per the report, Bowen had been named on Tottenham's 'list of homegrown targets' heading into the summer, albeit with there having also been an acceptance that the Hammers may be unwilling to sell, after also losing influential captain Declan Rice to Arsenal.
To not have at least attempted to prise the former Hull City winger from the London Stadium may well have been something of a mistake, however, particularly the Lilywhites having kept a keen eye on the 26-year-old since being linked with a £20m move back in January 2019 – prior to his move to the Irons a year later.
While reports in recent years have suggested a £75m price tag for the Leominster-born wizard, the player has been valued at closer to €50m (£44m), according to CIES Football Observatory, with that not too far beyond what was dished out for Kulusevski.
How has Bowen performed this season?
That potential transfer failure will only sting even more due to the fact that the Hammers sensation has started the new campaign in a rich vein of form, having already scored three goals and contributed one assist in the top flight to date.
Part of a West Ham side that – like Spurs – has picked up ten points from their opening four league games, the £60k-per-week asset was particularly instrumental in the surprise 3-1 victory over Brighton and Hove Albion a few weeks ago, notable producing an exquisite touch and poked finish at the Amex.
With the aforementioned Rice no longer in the picture, Bowen has been forced to step up and emerge as the true leading talisman for David Moyes' side, albeit while having already carried the goalscoring burden in years gone by in east London.
Excluding the current campaign, the 5 foot 9 speedster – who has been dubbed an "unbelievable player" by Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp – has scored 26 league goals since the start of the 2020/21 season, including bagging 12 goals and ten assists in 2021/22.
The one-time Hereford United ace was also integral in helping to guide his current side to continental glory earlier this year as Moyes' men powered to the Europa Conference League title, netting the decisive goal at the death against Serie A outfit, Fiorentina, in the showpiece.
As a player, like Kulusevski, who typically cuts in onto his stronger left foot from the right flank, Bowen has been particularly deadly in a West Ham shirt over recent years, with Spurs likely to regret the fact that not only did they miss out back in 2019, but also this summer.
Is Bowen better than Kulusevski?
One area that Bowen particularly thrives in is his defensive work rate to help out those around him – despite also being keen to hurt the opposition going the other way – as he ranks in the top 6% among his European peers for interceptions made, as well as in the top 10% for aerial duels won per 90.
Likes to cross
Counter attack threat
Gets fouled often
Does not dive into tackles
That record is superior to what Kulusevski has achieved in a Tottenham shirt over the last 365 days, while operating in the same position, with the Tottenham man ranking in only the top 18% for interceptions and just the bottom 9% for aerial duels won.
Across the course of last season, it was also Bowen who came out on top in a creative sense after creating nine big chances in total for his teammates in the league, with his younger counterpart creating just seven big chances at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
With Bowen also providing the benefit of having regularly delivered the goods season-in, season-out for Moyes and co over recent years, he could well have represented a more proven and reliable option as far as Postecoglou is concerned.
After previously plucking the likes of Jermain Defoe and Michael Carrick from their London rivals, it would appear that Spurs frustratingly fell short this time around…
