Tottenham Hotspur have not been swashbuckling just yet under Roberto De Zerbi but it surely will not be too much longer before we see Spurs really hit their groove.
After all, this has been one of the most exciting summers in the club’s history. From the threat of relegation, they have secured their Premier League status and gone on to break their transfer record twice.
Still, despite Mateus Fernandes’ screamer on debut against MK Dons last week, the youth academy has been one of the biggest talking points across their opening two pre-season fixtures.
The effervescent Luca Williams-Barnett is shining bright, in particular, and he looks a real find amid all of the heavy spending by De Zerbi and Co.
Why Williams-Barnett is Spurs’ biggest young talent
With the World Cup having concluded just over a week ago, it means that a number of Spurs’ higher calibre players are not in the pre-season picture just yet. They still have several injuries to contend with too.
What that means is that this is a great opportunity for a host of the academy players to make an impact and stake their claims for more first-team involvement next season.
After Luka Vuskovic was sold to Brighton a few weeks ago, the Lilywhites are looking for a young defender to come through the ranks and look to have found that in young Malachi Hardy, an 18-year-old centre-half who has appeared in both games with MK and Auckland within the last week.
We’ve also seen glimpses of Jamie Donley, who De Zerbi is said to rate highly and Mikey Moore, two of the academy’s hottest properties. Yet, the star of the show so far has been 17-year-old Williams-Barnett.
While he has only appeared in one competitive match for Spurs so far, this teenage attacking midfielder has been making waves for a while now and is fresh off a campaign in which he scored 16 goals in 19 matches at youth level.
He’s one of the best young talents in the English game right now and he has proven as much during pre-season so far.
This is the first time that the teen has really had a proper chance to play for the senior side and he’s more than made an impact. He started as a number 10 in the 2-0 win over Auckland and had as many as five shots at goal without scoring.
Williams-Barnett vs MK Dons (1-0) | |
|---|---|
Minutes played | 45 |
Touches | 33 |
Accurate passes | 20/22 (91%) |
Key passes | 3 |
Shots | 1 |
Successful dribbles | 2/6 |
Carries | 14 |
Duels won | 3/8 |
He was even more impressive just a few days before. Playing slightly out of position in a deeper-lying midfield role, the youngster put in a performance that Mousa Dembele would have been proud of vs MK Dons. He attempted as many as six dribbles and should have had an assist when his pinpoint pass over the top of the defence was somehow missed by Yang Min-hyeok.
Compared to everyone else coming through the academy, Williams-Barnett is the one who looks the most ready to receive first-team minutes. He’s such a captivating player to watch.
That said, Spurs are now looking at signing a young player with just as much potential.
Spurs could sign another Williams-Barnett this summer
The academy has been a huge talking point over the course of the off-season and indeed during pre-season. With Tottenham needing to focus on bolstering the first-team squad, there was a feeling that the academy was going to be left behind.
However, pre-season has so far indicated that is far from the case. De Zerbi is happy to hand minutes to the best young talents coming through.
Spurs starting XI vs Auckland |
|---|
GK – Brandon Austin |
RB – Tye Hall |
CB – Malachi Hardy |
CB – Kota Takai |
LB – Rio Kyerematen |
CM – Archie Gray |
CM – Jamie Donley |
CAM – Luca Williams-Barnett |
RW – Manor Solomon |
LW – Mikey Moore |
CF – Dane Scarlett |
Sure, Spurs need to improve in the present day but they also need to prepare for the future. That’s where Williams-Barnett comes into the equation. It’s also where PSG’s Ibrahim Mbaye comes into the picture.
Like the Tottenham prodigy, Mbaye has been causing a stir for all the right reasons in France and aged 18, has already been hailed as “the next Kylian Mbappe” by GOAL.
The PSG first team is not an easy place to break into and it is widely thought that the teenager could leave this summer. RMC Sport in France suggest that the Champions League winners have already received contact from Spurs, Liverpool and Manchester City who have made enquiries about his availability.
Why is this significant? Well, as his reputation suggests, this is one of the most exciting young forwards in Europe right now. He’s up there with Williams-Barnett as far as potential is concerned.
Last season, the teenager played 29 times for the PSG first-team, scoring three times and assisting two goals. Those are not jaw-dropping numbers, of course they aren’t, but he’s such a captivating player to watch.
Much in the same way as Williams-Barnett, Mbaye is a ball-carrying machine. Compared to wingers and attacking midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues last season, he ranked among the top 4% for progressive carries per 90 minutes with a whopping 5.42. He also performed 1.90 successful dribbles per 90, a figure that ranked him among the best 25% of wingers on the contintent.
The third youngest goalscorer in PSG’s illustrious history, Mbaye is very much cut from a similar cloth as his fellow teenager at Spurs. He’s a thrilling direct forward player with extremely quick feet. He can wriggle himself out of many a tight situation. Capable of playing on either wing or through the middle, he’s got the same verstatility as Williams-Barnett too.
Can you imagine the pair of them lining up together under De Zerbi in the future? It’s a mouthwatering prospect.
