Good news, everyone! Tottenham Hotspur are on the cusp of making a signing... though it’s a player who’s already at the club. According to The Athletic, Spurs now have full agreement from Mikey Moore to sign a three-year professional contract with the club, and he will sign the paperwork on Sunday, the day he turns 17 and is legally able to do so.
You might be thinking “I thought this was done as far back as last year!” You’re kind of right. Moore had a pre-agreement intending to sign professionally last season, one that guaranteed him the ability to train with the first team and likely an accelerated pathway to a club debut and first-team minutes. But that agreement was apparently not binding, and there have been murmurs that a number of really big clubs, including from the continent, were attempting to poach him away from Spurs as recently as this summer.
So to get confirmation that Mikey intends to follow through with his previous agreement is fantastic. My understanding is that a three-year professional contract is the most we can offer a 17-year-old, so that’s what he’s signing. The Athletic also states that he’s been offered wages higher than any other youth prospect at his age, which is also a reflection of how important he is to the club’s future.
We’ve seen Mikey in preseason for Tottenham this summer, and he’s been quite impressive for a kid that young — looks like we have a real generational talent on our hands, if his development is handled properly. While I think it’s unlikely we’ll see much of him in the league apart from as a late-match substitute, I do think it’s possible and even likely that he’ll feature in the early-round cup matches and also the Europa League. I doubt he’ll head out on loan, as Spurs have frequently been reticent to send youngsters on loan before they turn 18.
Anyway, this is fantastic news! I look forward to the DONE DEAL article on Sunday!