Both of Tottenham's January signings are already proving themselves at Tottenham, after being at the club for less than two months. Dejan Kulusevski and Rodrigo Bentancur have both quickly secured themselves regular spots in Antonio Conte's starting XI and are not disappointing.
It was another solid performance from the pair when Spurs travelled to the AMEX Stadium on Wednesday night and they made an impact at both ends of the pitch. The former Juventus duo have received praise from a number of their teammates already, with Ben Davies commending their start in N17 after the Brighton tie.
A key issue the Lilywhites have had this season is their inconsistent form, which has seen them still battling for a spot inside the top four. Tottenham are currently back in seventh in the Premier League and just three points behind Arsenal, who have played one game less than Conte's side.
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In his post match press conference, the Italian told football.london what he thought of the January arrivals, which was him reiterating what he had previously explained. "To see Rodrigo Bentancur and Deki Kulusevski go into the team so quickly in this idea of football is great for us," Conte said.
"I said to you after these two signings now we are more complete, especially in midfield because we lost [Oliver] Skipp for two/three months in this moment. We needed to have a player like Rodrigo."
Bentancur has already made seven Premier League appearances since his arrival from Juventus at the end of the January window and picked up his first goal contribution on Wednesday, with an assist against Brighton. In his appearances to far, he has created two big chances, produced 12 accurate long balls and made 43 recoveries, showing his impact at both ends of the field.
The 24-year-old has been playing alongside Pierre Emile Hojbjerg and although there is still work to be done, the midfield pairing are working well to try and compliment each other's games in the middle of the pitch. The Argentine broke straight into Conte's regular XI, replacing Harry Winks, who is Spurs' only other current central midfield option, with Skipp still out injured.
Bentancur has already shown his ability in his short time in N17. The midfielder adds an element of creativity and has shown he can get out of difficult situations with the ball. He also has room for improvement but the most impressive thing has been the impact he has been able to have and ability he has shown in such a short amount of time.
Moving to a new country, playing in a new league, with new teammates and under a new manager normally takes players a while to settle in. However the January arrivals have both adapted quickly, providing a boost for Conte as he needed these players to make an immediate impact.
Bentancur's solid start has earned him praise from former Tottenham player Alan Hutton. "He is different from the other midfielders that they’ve got like Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Harry Winks. Don’t get me wrong, he likes to get in and about it and tackle but then with that, he’s very composed and good technically with his feet so can get out of tight situations," Hutton said earlier this month, via Football Inisider.
"He can then pass the ball forward which I think is something Tottenham miss when it’s Hojbjerg and Winks. As comfortable as they are, they’re not going to penetrate that much with a pass. He’s looking like an excellent addition in the transfer window, as well as Kulesevski who has brought something different," the 37-year-old added. "These are the types of signings Conte wants in and he probably wants more and will be looking to freshen things up again in the summer window."
Fabio Paratici fulfilled the 52-year-old's hopes of a central midfielder with the signing of Bentancur, despite a number of other rumoured targets during the winter window. The Argentine's solid start will also provide him with a boost, knowing that his January signings have so far paid off, as the summer window draws closer.
Amongst Hutton's praise for the 24-year-old, he also likened him to another former Tottenham player. "You can see similarities between Bentancur and Mousa Dembele," the ex-Spurs defender said. "He’s only just come into the team so it will take time for him to come into his own but he might be able to get there.
"They’re both comfortable on the ball. He wants to go forward with it too, not just sideways or backwards. He’s an old fashioned number eight where he can do everything. I think he will grow and develop as time goes on."
If Hutton's praise is correct and Bentancur can continue the quality that he has already shown, as well as improve even further under Conte, the Argentine could become a key player in the Tottenham squad.
