Tottenham Hotspur's summer transfer window is in full swing, with a £237 million spend and six new first-team players arriving. But this influx of talent has a knock-on effect for the club's youngsters, with head coach Roberto De Zerbi tasked with assessing and deciding their future. De Zerbi, alongside first-team transition coach Stuart Lewis and U21s boss Wayne Burnett, will evaluate players aged 17 to 21, including those who have already been sold or loaned out.
One player who has already been sold is Luka Vuskovic, who joined Brighton for £50 million. Alfie Devine, meanwhile, has left for Preston after his loan deal was taken up. De Zerbi will also assess a host of other youngsters, including Mikey Moore, a Scottish Premiership Young Player of the Year, and Souza, a Brazilian left-back dubbed 'the new Marcelo'.
The club's absence of European football this season means they have fewer concerns about homegrown issues and foreign player overloading, but they must still address their squad's depth and quality. De Zerbi will make decisions on players like Will Lankshear, who has been linked with Sporting, Wolves, and Southampton, and Mason Melia, whose future could be tied to Lankshear's.
Other players to watch include Jamie Donley, a versatile midfielder, and Yang Min-hyeok, a tricky winger who has been loaned out three times in the Championship. Ashley Phillips, a 20-year-old centre-back, and Kota Takai, a 21-year-old Japanese centre-back, are also in De Zerbi's sights. The coach will need to make decisions on their futures, with Phillips and Takai both facing competition from established players.
The article concludes by highlighting the importance of De Zerbi's decisions, as they will shape the club's future and determine the success of their young players. It also mentions the potential for homegrown players like Luca Williams-Barnett and Jun'ai Byfield to step up if others depart on loan or permanently.
