Roberto De Zerbi has led the pursuit of proven Premier League experience at Tottenham Hotspur, but it’s worth remembering that many of the club’s modern success stories have come when gambling on youth.
Of course, there is merit in De Zerbi’s approach, following a few wretched years in north London, but Spurs need to ensure they don’t sell tomorrow in order to fund today.
The likes of Luka Vuskovic and Tynan Thompson have departed, with Lucas Bergvall likely to follow, the Lilywhites perhaps moving away from a tradition that saw them snap up the likes of Dele Alli or Gareth Bale in years gone by.
Who will emerge, therefore, as the next young sensation at N17?
The Spurs youngsters who could sparkle in the first-team next season
Hopes remain high regarding the long-term plan for 19-year-old, Mikey Moore, although following a fine season on loan at Rangers, the teenager is expected to head out again in order to join FC Koln.
In terms of who might actually impact De Zerbi’s first-team ranks, the main attraction remains 17-year-old, Luca Williams-Barnett, the promising midfielder having long been touted as the next superstar off the conveyor belt.
Indeed, in the first pre-season game against MK Dons, the Englishman’s second-half display arguably outshone the debuts of both Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes, the youngster having run the show in the centre of the park.
He’s only made one senior appearance as yet, but more could well follow before too long, with the same perhaps true of 18-year-old defender, Malachi Hardy.
The decision to sell Vuskovic to Brighton and Hove Albion on a £60m deal certainly raised eyebrows, yet in Hardy, Spurs do have their own centre-back starlet to be getting excited about.
He’s featured in every pre-season game so far, excluding the recent clash with Getafe, putting in a particularly stellar display against Auckland FC, boasting a remarkable 97% pass accuracy rate from his 103 touches, looking so assured at the heart of the backline.
A word must also be said of Jamie Donley, and while at 21 he’s no mere prospect, the elegant left-footer could be ready for the big break at Spurs he’s been waiting for, having seemingly caught the eye of De Zerbi.
Talk of a lack of a pathway to the first team remains, but maybe there is still reason to be optimistic regarding the Tottenham youth, particularly if further Bale-esque deals are done in the near future.
How Spurs could repeat Bale success with statement signing
No one would suggest that Bale was an overnight success, with it taking a few years – and a fair few defeats – for the Welshman to really explode in north London, following his £10m switch from Southampton in 2007.
His talent, even as a mere teenager, had been evident for the Saints, however, the rampaging left-back scoring and assisting 17 goals in just 45 games on the south coast.
He looked like a star in the making, and Spurs’ gamble was rewarded soon enough, with that night in the San Siro signifying the start of a glittering rise for the defender-turned-flying-winger.
It could be said that Tottenham would be in for a repeat if they were to secure a deal for Manchester United’s JJ Gabriel, with TEAMtalk reporting that they are among the clubs keeping a close eye on his contract situation.
United are confident of agreeing professional terms with the teenager, but Spurs – among others – are lurking in the background, ready to pounce in case the England youth star has a change of heart.
At just 15, it feels a little unfair or unwise to pin too much pressure or expectation on Gabriel, yet the horse has already bolted in that sense. He’s a superstar in the making.
Already part of Michael Carrick’s first-team squad, having made his senior ‘debut’ in the recent friendly with Atletico Madrid, Gabriel is backing up why he has been hailed as “one of the most exciting talents in the world” by the Manchester Evening News’ Steven Railston.
There is a feeling, as the MEN have noted, that he might even be the best academy talent that the Red Devils have seen, some statement considering this is a club of the Busby Babes and the famed ‘Class of 92’.
Such lofty praise isn’t without merit, with Gabriel scoring 23 goals in just 23 games in the U18 Premier League last term, a ridiculous tally considering he doesn’t even turn 16 until October.
U18 PL Top Scorers | ||
|---|---|---|
Player | Club | Goals |
T. Lamb | Man City | 25 |
JJ Gabriel | Man Utd | 23 |
M. Meade | A.Villa | 20 |
J Sonni-Lambie | Liverpool | 16 |
C. Ezenwata | Chelsea | 15 |
A. Muslika | Spurs | 15 |
H. French | West Brom | 15 |
L. Hutchinson | Leicester | 15 |
C. Dunbar-McDonald | Man City | 15 |
That came alongside three goals in just six FA Youth Cup games, as United reached the final, with it looking like a matter of when and not if he makes his competitive senior debut, heading into the new season.
He’ll need time to develop and progress, just as Bale did at N17, but you wouldn’t bet against Gabriel emerging as the Premier League’s next young sensation.
Figures like Bale, who enjoy a real explosion onto the scene, don’t come around too often, yet if Spurs can pluck Gabriel from Old Trafford, this could be another statement coup for the ENIC regime.
