Nottingham Forest defender Joe Worrall and striker Ben Brereton are attracting interest.
Tottenham’s Joshua Onomah and Forest’s Joe Worrall in action
Nottingham Forest haven’t had much success in recent years, but their academy is thriving, with a host of players coming up through the ranks at the City Ground.
The problem is that those youngsters keep being sold. Goalkeeper Karl Darlow and defender Jamaal Lascelles were sold to Newcastle United in the summer of 2014, whilst star winger Oliver Burke was snapped up by RB Leipzig in 2016.
Fans have been left frustrated by owner Fawaz Al-Hasawi’s tendency to sell top youngsters, and with another crop of players coming through, players are being linked with departures again.
Midfielders Ben Osborn and Matty Cash have both been touted for Premier League moves, whilst The Mirror reported this week that defender Joe Worrall is attracting top-flight interest, with the Daily Mail claiming in January that Spurs are watching striker Ben Brereton.
Both players are featuring in the Forest first team right now, and it would be little surprise to see Tottenham plot raids for both players, given how Mauricio Pochettino’s men have been developing young English players.
Tottenham raided Forest to sign two homegrown talents in 2005 as Andy Reid and Michael Dawson headed to White Hart Lane, and recreating a double swoop by targeting Worrall and Brereton may make some sense.
Defender Worrall has been tipped for a bright future, and whilst Pochettino has one young defender to develop in Cameron Carter-Vickers, adding another for the coming years could be wise, given that Jan Vertonghen is approaching his 30’s.
Whilst Carter-Vickers is just 6ft tall and athletic, Worrall would offer Pochettino a different type of option at the back, as he stands at 6ft 4in tall and is strong in the air, earning comparisons to former Forest youngster and Spurs captain Dawson.
Nottingham Forest’s Ben Brereton in action with Rotherham United’s Richie Smallwood and Rotherham United’s Richard Wood (C)
Meanwhile, striker Brereton has become one of the Football League’s top young talents, starring for the Forest youth setup following a move from Stoke City in the summer of 2015.
The 17-year-old has already hit three goals in just eight Championship games, with the teenager making the step up to the Championship look easy so far – and if there’s anything Tottenham need, it’s a striker.
Vincent Janssen has struggled since his move from AZ Alkmaar last summer, and whilst Harry Kane continues to score, developing another young English striker along with Shayon Harrison could make sense for Pochettino.
It’s unclear just how much both players would cost, but if Tottenham are continuing to pursue Football League talents after Dele Alli’s success, then Worrall and Brereton make sense – though Forest fans certainly wouldn’t be happy to see two more youngsters leave the club.
Would you like to see Spurs sign Worrall and Brereton?
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