Who Is Dejan Kulusevski?
At the beginning of August, very few people outside Atalanta knew of the Bergamo clubs 19-year-old Swedish winger Dejan Kulusevski.
Since then, the Swede has performed brilliantly on loan at Parma, forced his way into the Swedish senior national team, been prized at around €50m and linked with Manchester United.
Its been a remarkable rise for Kulusevski with two goals and five assists in twelve Serie A games.
This tactical analysis scout report examines his role in Parmas tactics and the kind of player he is.
Dejan Kulusevski style of play
Kulusevski is a winger and has been used on the right at Parma.
His profile is very interesting since he combines pace and dribbling ability with excellent technique and clever movement.
His ability to play in tight spaces suggests that he should eventually be able to seamlessly transition into a number 10.
Now, lets look at Kulusevskis abilities in more detail.
Dejan Kulusevski Sublime dribbling ability
As mentioned above, Kulusevski is an excellent dribbler.
In fact, only two players, Riccardo Orsolini and Jeremie Boga, have attempted more dribbles than Kulusevski.
The Swede averages 7.13 dribbles per game and also makes 2.46 progressive runs per 90 minutes.
These statistics highlight his ability to progress the ball independently, an essential quality in a Parma side often set up to hit opponents on the break.
Kulusevskis acceleration, technique and creativity make him a nightmare for a full-back to face.
The sequence below highlights why.
In the first image, Kulusevski receives the ball and faces his own goal, with a defender pressing on him.
The 19-year-old realises that the space is behind the defender, flicks the ball between the defenders legs, spins and runs past his opponent.
Next, Kulusevski has attracted a midfielder to put pressure on him.
Most wingers would continue down the wing here and look to beat their opponent for pace, yet Kulusevski identifies the space available inside if he can beat the midfielder.
Thus, the Swede cuts inside on his lef
