Tottenham have earned plaudits for their development of young English players.
Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino
Since Mauricio Pochettino’s appointment in 2014, Tottenham have become known for their efforts to develop young players, and predominantly English ones.
Eric Dier, Dele Alli and Harry Kane have all starred under Pochettino, whilst Kyle Walker and Danny Rose have taken their game to new heights with Pochettino’s tutelage.
Many young, English players will be looking at what Alli and Kane are achieving at Tottenham, and will believe that they could also develop into stars if they end up at White Hart Lane under Pochettino.
With that in mind, here are five English players aged 23 or younger that Tottenham should be looking to target in the coming months…
Sunderland’s Jordan Pickford celebrates
Jordan Pickford, Sunderland: Hugo Lloris is one of the top goalkeepers in the Premier League, but Pochettino’s desire to develop a young goalkeeper behind the Frenchman is clear after a signing Pau Lopez on loan. It’s unclear whether the Spaniard will sign permanently, and if Spurs choose to look elsewhere, Pickford should be near the top of their list. Pickford, 22, has impressed for Sunderland this season and actually served up a stunning performance against Tottenham last month. With exceptional distribution skills and superb shot-stopping ability, Pickford is an England international of the future – and Tottenham should be keeping tabs on him.
Watford’s Troy Deeney in action with Burnley’s Michael Keane
Michael Keane, Burnley: Tottenham have arguably the top centre back partnership in the Premier League in Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen, but recent reports suggest a move for another defender could be on the cards. Kevin Wimmer told Kleine Zeitung in his native Austria that he may consider his future due to a lack of first-team football, whilst The Mirror claim that Pochettino has his eyes on Lyon’s Emanuel Mammana. If Spurs decide to go English, then Burnley’s Michael Keane fits the bill. Currently in the England squad and starring with Burnley, Keane has strength, aerial ability and a great reading of the game for his age – and with Jan Vertonghen nearing 30, 23-year-old Keane would be a smart long-term signing for Spurs, even I he’d be fairly expensive.
Ryan Sessegnon, Fulham: Whilst Pochettino has strong competition at left back with Danny Rose and Ben Davies, the latter has recently been linked with a £20m move to Chelsea (The Sun), meaning Spurs may need to look for other left backs. Fulham wonderkid Sessegnon is the perfect player to sit and learn behind Rose, and The Mirror even reported last month that Spurs are confident of beating Liverpool to a £5m deal for Sessegnon in January. The 16-year-old, who can also play on the left wing, has scored twice in just four Championship appearances, and has already played 15 games for England at youth level. With bags of potential, Sessegnon is unsurprisingly on Tottenham’s radar, and we could see him turning out at White Hart Lane very soon.
Charlton’s Ademola Lookman celebrates scoring
Andre Dozzell, Ipswich Town: An interesting signing for Spurs would be young midfielder Dozzell, as he is the son of former Tottenham midfielder Jason Dozzell. The 17-year-old hit the headlines last season by scoring on his debut for Ipswich Town, and that seemed to spark real interest in his signature. The Mirror claimed back in April that Tottenham were among the clubs looking to sign Dozzell; a talented young attacking midfielder with more than 20 caps for England at youth level. Spurs do have Harry Winks, Joshua Onomah and Marcus Edwards, but they are all versatile, and moving to sign Dozzell would give Tottenham another young playmaker – but they would hope that he’d have more success than his father did at White Hart Lane.
Ademola Lookman, Charlton Athletic: Lookman, 18, was enjoyed a rapid rise at Charlton, going from youth football with Waterloo FC to starting for the Addicks in the Championship last season. With five goals last term and another two so far this season, Lookman is impressing at The Valley, and with Charlton in turmoil, he’ll surely follow the likes of Carl Jenkinson, Joe Gomez and Jonjo Shelvey in leaving Charlton for the Premier League sooner rather than later. A pacey forward who can play out wide or up front, Lookman would give Pochettino an attacker to develop over the coming years, whilst offering Lookman the chance to continue his development in London.
Which young English talents would you like to see Tottenham sign?
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