Mohammed Kudus: Key to Tottenham's Survival Under De Zerbi
Mohammed Kudus is walking back into a very different Tottenham Hotspur – and it might suit him perfectly.
The Ghana winger, out since early January, is nearing a return to the squad ahead of Spurs’ clash with Sunderland. The medical staff are treading carefully, wary of any setback, but the mood around his recovery has shifted. Caution remains. Optimism now dominates.
That optimism has a name: Roberto De Zerbi.
A New Manager, a Ready-Made Weapon
De Zerbi’s arrival has reset the conversation at Tottenham. Survival in the Premier League has become the hard, unvarnished priority, and every player is being judged through the lens of his aggressive, possession-based, attacking game.
Kudus fits that picture almost too neatly.
Reports have long linked De Zerbi with admiration for Kudus, dating back to the winger’s Ajax days. Back then, the Italian saw a forward tailor-made for his ideas: someone who could drag defenders out of shape, attack the gaps they leave behind, and turn sterile possession into genuine threat.
Now he finally has him.
Built for De Zerbi’s System
De Zerbi’s football leans heavily on forwards who think like playmakers and run like sprinters. They pull centre-backs into areas they hate, they tempt full-backs into bad decisions, they open corridors for runners from deep.
Kudus thrives in that chaos.
His direct running, the way he drives at defenders and commits them one by one, gives Spurs something they have sorely missed in recent months. Before his injury, he had already emerged as one of the side’s most influential attacking outlets, even under the previous regime. When he picked up the ball on the right, Spurs suddenly looked less predictable, less easy to contain.
That edge vanished when he did.
Spurs’ Thin Right Flank
In his absence, Tottenham’s lack of depth on the right has been exposed. Attacks have tilted heavily to other areas of the pitch, and the team has often lacked a natural outlet who can beat a man and carry the ball into dangerous zones.
Without that threat, opponents have been comfortable squeezing the space, forcing Spurs into safer, slower patterns. It has suited teams fighting at the other end of the table, happy to turn games into tight, nervous contests.
Kudus changes that dynamic. One pass, one turn, one burst past his marker – and the whole structure of a match can tilt.
A Timely Return in a Relegation Fight
Tottenham’s situation is stark: they are fighting to stay in the Premier League. Performances have stuttered, results have wobbled, and the margin for error is shrinking with every fixture.
This is the backdrop to Kudus’ return.
De Zerbi is trying to reshape the side on the fly, imposing his philosophy while scraping for points. He needs players who can execute bold ideas under pressure, who can break lines and punish mistakes. Kudus offers exactly that – not as a luxury, but as a necessity.
His comeback is not being framed as a bonus. It feels like a turning point.
If he stays fit, the 25-year-old has the tools to become the reference point of De Zerbi’s front line: the runner between the lines, the dribbler who forces double teams, the spark that turns a nervy relegation scrap into something more controlled, more dangerous, more Tottenham.
The question now is simple: with Kudus back and De Zerbi in charge, can Spurs turn potential into survival?
