Opinion: Promote, loan or keep – Tottenham’s pre-season tour youngsters

Tottenham’s pre-season adventures to Japan and Korea have officially come to a close. One of the standout aspects of the tour was Spurs’ youth players who shone throughout, so what should the club do with them this season?

George Abbott – Loan

Abbott was one of the players who received the fewest minutes whilst out in Korea, which may have been a surprise given that the midfielder is the captain of the U21s who lifted the PL2 league and play-off trophy.

It’s more understandable when you are reminded that Abbott is still just eighteen, making him an incredibly young captain, even for a U21s squad, speaking to the midfielder’s maturity.

The maturity of Abbott is why I would suggest a loan, still at such a young age. The academy captain also plays in a position that could be hard to break through into next season with Tyrese Hall potentially being favoured above Abbott. A solid League One loan with plenty of minutes would help the 18-year-old’s career on perfectly.

Alfie Devine – Loan

Former Wigan academy player, Alfie Devine, recently turned twenty but is yet to achieve the levels of which many fans hoped he would live up to, although has gone some way in getting there with his impressive loans last campaign.

Devine would likely be handed spare minutes if he remained at Tottenham this season, proven by his lack of pre-season minutes, and after having Championship experience, would be wasted in the academy squads.

Alfie was one of Tottenham’s only players last season who were given successful loans, with the natural progression from Port Vale in League One, to Plymouth in the Championship being made in January.

Devine’s time at Plymouth Argyle proved he can be comfortable at Championship level, contributing two assists last season in his fifteen appearances for Argyle. Another move to the second tier would offer Devine the perfect platform to return to Spurs next season, knocking on the door of the first team. (TransferMarkt)

Jamie Donley – Loan

Donley has been one of the players on the tour whose performances have gone largely unrecognised.

The Antrim-born academy star is an attacking midfielder by trade but has been utilised as a left-back by Ange Postecoglou due to the absence of Destiny Udogie. Donley has performed the role impressively, his time out of position hasn’t been without woe, giving the ball away on odd occasions, but on the whole, it has been an impressive showing from the 19-year-old.

Donley’s versatility could make him an option for Postecoglou’s senior side next season, but the Australian should make that decision very carefully. Jamie’s versatility shouldn’t be abused as a reason to keep him around the squad whilst still so young.

A loan move instead could be the ideal step up for Donley, who is yet to venture outside of Hotspur Way, having spent his entire career progressing through the club’s academy system.

Impressive pre-season showings, matched with twenty goals and assists in as many PL2 games last season suggest Donley could comfortably move to a Championship side, with rumours suggesting that a switch to the second tier is a strong possibility with various sides interested. (Tom Barclay)

Luca Gunter – Keep

Loan moves for goalkeepers are always very difficult to manage, therefore, it may be best for Gunter to continue his development as the academy’s first-choice goalkeeper.

At just nineteen, Luca Gunter is incredibly young still for a goalkeeper, even in an era of increasingly youthful squads. Luca had an impressive pre-season, being handed short cameos throughout the tour, with his most notable moment coming against QPR when he clawed away a goal-bound header from the home team’s striker.

As referred to previously though, many clubs can be selfish when it comes to loan moves for goalkeepers and warming the bench for an EFL side is unlikely to aid Gunter’s development too much.

If a deal can be found where a side wants Gunter to be their first-choice ‘keeper, having long watched Gunter’s impressive PL2 performances, in particular against Liverpool in the PL2 play-off quarter-finals when Gunter’s penalty heroics helped Tottenham book a spot in the last four, a display which suggested the 19-year-old is ready for high pressure, senior situations.

Tyrese Hall – Promote

It may be a risk as Hall’s playing time would likely hinge on Tottenham’s cup performances, but Tyrese Hall has plenty of chances next season to earn some first-team minutes.

Reports from Football.London back in June suggested that both Mikey Moore and Tyrese Hall were two youth players in particular that Ange Postecoglou had taken a real liking to, meaning that perhaps Hall has the trust of the manager to be thrown into first-team action.

Following the sale of Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Tottenham are currently light in defensive midfield, a position which Hall initially mastered when first called up to Spurs’ U21 side back in late 2023.

However, towards the end of the PL2 season, Tyrese Hall had some great performances further forward, most notably scoring a brace against Liverpool whilst being used as an attacking midfielder. (TransferMarkt)

Hall’s ability to play throughout the midfield could see him handed minutes in domestic cups as well as the Europa League, should Tottenham be drawn against so-called ‘easier’ opponents in the competition’s new league format, if Hall isn’t given minutes there is also the option to move him out on loan in January in order to get consistent playing time.

Will Lankshear – Loan

This is one of the toughest calls out of the bunch. Lankshear has more than stated his case this pre-season, being taken on tour despite never being handed a senior minute for Spurs.

Lankshear didn’t appear phased by any pressure of inexperience at senior level however and recorded two goals in his very short pre-season cameos.

Will continued his confident and clinical performances that he displayed in PL2 last season, where he was crowned Player of the Season as well as top goal scorer in a memorable personal, as well as collective, campaign for the 19-year-old. (Premier League)

Lankshear’s physicality and power make his skills particularly transferrable to senior level, which does suggest the striker could play a part for Postecoglou next season.

However, it doesn’t appear as though either Alejo Veliz or Dane Scarlett will be departing on loan anytime soon and with rumours that Spurs could sign another striker this window, a loan deal may be best for Lankshear’s development. (Football.London)

A Championship loan would be an ideal level for Will who could definitely make his mark at one of the various second-tier sides that are seeking a number nine, even with the Championship season just days away.

Spurs must be wary of past situations such as Dane Scarlett and Troy Parrott’s failed loans to a similar level and therefore must ensure as much as possible that Lankshear will be trusted with plenty of minutes should he leave elsewhere on loan.

Mikey Moore – Promote

The strange fact of the matter is that, even at sixteen, Moore wouldn’t even really need to be promoted to the first team, he is already part of it.

Alasdair Gold revealed last month that Moore should receive plenty of minutes in the upcoming season, a fact that has been reflected in Postecoglou’s regular usage of the teenager in pre-season, where Moore has managed to record two goals and one assist.

Moore became Tottenham’s youngest-ever Premier League appearance maker back in May against Manchester City and hasn’t looked back since, exciting many Spurs fans this summer with his outstanding pre-season displays. (Tottenham Hotspur)

Keeping Moore at Hotspur Way this season will allow Postecoglou to manage the 16-year-old sensation exactly as he sees fit, which is crucial when Moore possesses so much talent whilst still being at such a tender age.

Ashley Phillips – Loan

Like Lankshear, Phillips is one of the harder decisions within the group. It is hard to decide between giving the player a few senior appearances for Spurs whilst also being a great back-up option or let him leave on loan in order to receive consistent game time.

For Phillips, I have decided the latter is best. Plymouth Argyle fans fell in love with Ashley Phillips following his loan to them in January as the 19-year-old central defender put in eighteen impressive performances which boosted Argyle’s survival chances. (TransferMarkt)

Phillips’ outstanding showings were repaid by Argyle’s fans with him being awarded the club’s Young Player of the Season award, despite only playing twenty times in green. (PAFC)

Another loan, this time to a Championship side gunning for promotion, is likely to be the best move for Phillips. Although the ideal short-term option would be to keep Phillips as a fourth-choice centre-back, especially with Emerson Royal, who had been utilised in central defence last season, expected to leave in the coming days. (Fabrizio Romano)

But the best move for Tottenham long-term could be to let Phillips find a temporary Championship home again in order to earn more first-team experience and come back to Spurs next season with a stronger case of being a regular first-team centre-back.

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