Leyton Orient are set to sign Jamie Donley on loan from Spurs, despite links to Birmingham City and the Championship this summer.
According to Football.London, the young forward will sign a new contract at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, and then will head across the capital to join the O's. Donley could be part of a double swoop with the League One outfit also considering a move for goalkeeper Josh Keeley.
In July, Football.London reported that Donley was of interest to Birmingham City, Luton Town, and Oxford United. The Hatters and the U's were 'extremely' keen whilst Birmingham were also said to have been keeping tabs on him.
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Despite interest from teams in the Championship and League One, Football.London say that Orient are felt to be the best fit for Donley's development as he will be given a consistent run of matches to continue his development. His new contract with Spurs will replace his current deal which expires in 2027.
Blues boss Chris Davies would have known exactly what kind of player Donley was, as he was an assistant coach to Ange Postecoglou, and would have worked with him in training. Davies has yet to do any business with his former club with Birmingham instead focusing on permanent signings, however the arrival of Alfons Sampsted from FC Twente was confirmed this week.
At under-21's level, Donley contributed to 19 goals in 20 Premier League 2 appearances, and his performances did not go amiss with the senior staff as he was able to force his way in to the first-team picture, making three appearances for the seniors last term.
He has featured in Spurs' pre-season preparations for the upcoming campaign, and that has been the reason for the delay over his future, with the Premier League starting one week later than Football League clubs. Donley is primarily a second striker or an attacking midfielder, but was trusted to play left-back during Spurs' tour of Japan and South Korea.
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With Donley and Davies having worked together at Spurs, the two are now likely to be on opposite sides and will face off against each other next week. Birmingham travel to Brisbane Road to face Orient on Saturday, August 24, and Davies will be well placed to work out a plan of dealing with the Northern Ireland youngster.
News of Donley’s proposed move to Orient is the second bit of bad news for Birmingham in the last 24 hours after Fulham boss Marco Silva revealed that they would be keeping Jay Stansfield at Craven Cottage. Stansfield was strongly linked with a return to St Andrew's, but right now the only way he will be returning is as an opposition player, as Birmingham have drawn the West London outfit at home in the second round of the Carabao Cup.