Dejan Kulusevski has insisted he wants to stay at Tottenham and that the possible departure of Antonio Conte will have no bearing on his future.
The 22-year-old is on an 18-month loan from Juventus and is expected to join Spurs on a permanent deal worth around £31m.
He was asked while on international duty with Sweden whether the situation had been affected by the doubts over Conte’s future.
“The Conte situation will not affect the club’s buy option for me, absolutely not. I want to stay at Spurs, of course,” he said, as reported by the Daily Mail.
Conte appears to have reached the end of the line at Spurs, where his contract expires at the end of the season and he is unlikely to stay.
There is doubt over whether the Italian will even remain in the position until the end of the campaign following his extraordinary post-match press conference after the recent draw at Southampton.
He criticised the club and chairman Daniel Levy, who he suggested was to blame for Tottenham’s long wait for a major trophy and the fact that several other managers had been dispensed with.
One of those former managers, Mauricio Pochettino, has been linked with a return to north London.
Pochettino remains a popular figure among Spurs fans, having led the club to the Champions League final during his time at the helm.
However, according to The Times, Pochettino is high on Real Madrid’s wish list if current boss Carlo Ancelotti leaves.
