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The Tottenham Hotspur first-team is looking particularly strong at the moment, but the youth squad is also thriving. So, which players will make it all the way and become regulars in the senior squad in the future?

Ange Postecoglou has already given youth a chance, to a degree, and with the likes of Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall being signed and sent straight to the first-team, it’s clear that the Spurs boss believes age is just a number when it comes to finding quality players.

But, aside from Harry Kane and Oliver Skipp, it has been a while since Tottenham developed a youngster from their youth team to become a first-team regular. So, who’s next? Here are five players who should end up having a strong career with the Lilywhites.

Mikey Moore

This is a bit of a no-brainer, really. Mikey Moore already got a taste of first-team football at the end of last season, and he flourished in pre-season. So much so, that Postecoglou decided against arranging a loan away and opted to keep the 17-year-old close to the senior squad this season.

Moore is the most exciting young talent Spurs have, and if he’s given ample opportunity to show what he can do this term, it may not take long at all for him to establish himself as a regular first-team player. If his trajectory doesn’t lead to him becoming a superstar, we have done something wrong.

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Jamie Donley

It’s almost a shame we haven’t seen more of Jamie Donley already, but it’s important to remember he is still just 19-years-old. The versatile playmaker (or left-back, sometimes) has all the raw ability needed to go right to the very top, and he will almost certainly do it with Spurs.

He’s currently getting plenty of first-team experience at Leyton Orient, and while the team itself may be struggling, this will be a valuable year for Donley. He will be playing regularly for Spurs in the next two or three years, guaranteed.

Will Lankshear

The similarities between Will Lankshear and Harry Kane are uncanny. Lankshear is strong, smart, and is one hell of a finisher, and he’s got all the attributes needed to become a top Premier League striker eventually.

It will be interesting to see how much he is used this season by Postecoglou, but the 19-year-old is a natural goalscorer, and you simply cannot ignore that for long. He’s already Tottenham’s third-choice striker, and he is only going to get better.

Ashley Phillips

Tottenham bagged one of the most promising defenders in England when they signed Ashley Phillips last summer. The towering teenager has already shown what he can do at Championship level with Blackburn, Plymouth, and now Stoke, and I have a feeling this will be the last time he needs to go out on loan.

Postecoglou has already revealed his thinking behind not signing another centre-back this summer, mentioning Phillips specifically as someone who he wants to clear a path for. The 19-year-old will be Tottenham’s fourth-choice centre-half next season.

Luca Gunter

Being a goalkeeper is tough. You get bombarded with shots, and when you save them people say you’re just doing your job, but if you let in one goal you get all the blame. Then, there’s the fact that you’re either a number one, or a backup, and the latter will rarely get first-team football as part of a rotation.

I’m not about to say that Luca Gunter can become Tottenham’s number-one goalkeeper in the future, but it makes perfect sense that the youngster can be the next backup option in the first-team.

Fraser Forster will be done at the end of this year, and neither Brandon Austin nor Alfie Whiteman are Premier League quality. Gunter, however, is showing great promise, and should be given a chance to mix it with the senior squad next season.

The international break can cause chaos for scheduling and player fitness, with Premier League clubs sweating on the condition of their star players this week. Unfortunately for Arsenal, one of their latest signings may now be ruled out of the upcoming North London derby due to injury.

Riccardo Calafiori a doubt for NLD

Arsenal splashed the cash this summer to snap up Italian defender Riccardo Calafiori from Bologna in a reported £42m deal (Sky Sports).

The 24-year-old has featured in the last two games for the Gunners, albeit as a second-half substitute, and has largely filled in at left-back rather than in his preferred centre-back role.

Calafiori continued his blossoming international career with Italy on Friday night, starting the 3-1 win over France. But, he only made it through 70 minutes of the game before being replaced after picking up a rather bizarre injury.

France’s Ousmane Dembele was running through the Italy defence, took a tumble, and caught Calafiori on the calf, leaving him in some discomfort.

Now, Fabrizio Romano has commented on the situation, and revealed Calafiori will not take part in any further international action for Italy this week.

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He tweeted: “Riccardo Calafiori leaves Italy camp as the staff will take no risk after his injury against France. Calafiori will return to London and he will be assessed by Arsenal medical staff.”

However, he later added a more positive update, stating: “Sources insist Riccardo Calafiori injury is not serious and it’s just a knock, nothing worrying. Arsenal also didn’t want Calafiori to take any risk and he will be assessed next week.”

No mention of injury on social media

Calafiori took to social media after the game to celebrate his country’s win, and made no reference to his condition, suggesting it might not be that serious after all.

Italy manager Luciano Spaletti had previously told the press (via Football.London) that he hoped Calafiori might be fit for the next game against Isreal on Monday night.

It now remains to be seen whether he will be passed fit to face Tottenham on Sunday in the first North London derby of the new Premier League campaign.

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I think Calafiori will be cutting it fine to make it for the North London derby at this rate. He’s got a week to recover, of course, but that includes testing, getting back into training, and being match-ready. He will probably be on the bench again.

Former Tottenham scout David Pleat is not a big fan of a data-led approach to recruitment, remarking that it cannot replace scouting players in person.

David Pleat recently left Tottenham Hotspur

David Pleat worked as a scout for Spurs for a long time, helping the club identify the best-emerging talent in the English Football League.

However, he vacated his role earlier this summer, with Tottenham’s new regime now going for a more data-based approach to identifying players.

It has been well documented that the club’s technical directors Johan Lange and Rob Mackenzie use data analysis to narrow down their list of targets and identify players with the specific attributes that Ange Postecoglou is looking for (GiveMeSport).

So far, the signings that Tottenham have made using this approach have proven to be a success, with the likes of Guglielmo Vicario, Micky van de Ven and others hitting the ground running at N17.

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David Pleat is not a fan of data-led scouting

However, Pleat prefers a more old-fashioned approach, insisting that number crunching cannot replace the wisdom brought to scouting by people steeped in the game, who know what it takes to succeed at the highest level.

The 79-year-old told The Athletic: “The data people, they’re intelligent boys from university who’ve done wonderful dissertations. (But) they haven’t been in a dressing room and smelled the liniment. They don’t know that side of it.

“They’re more intelligent than most football people, and they’re very good at expressing themselves. They’re looking at lung-bursting runs, at intensity, at all sorts of things. But in the end, someone has to go with their eyes and ears.”

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I do not think it makes sense to present it as a binary choice between data-led assessment and direct, in-person scouting.

Both qualitative and quantitative analysis are required, with data just being another tool that helps identify outliers and potentially narrow down the list of targets.

Football finance expert Kieran Maguire believes that Tottenham Hotspur and Daniel Levy will vote in favour of stringent financial restrictions in the Premier League’s annual general meeting next summer.

Profit and Sustainability Rules

Owners with heavy pockets are no longer able to pump unlimited funds into transfer fees and wages since the implementation of the Profit and Sustainability Rules.

The rule allows clubs to post a maximum loss of £105m over a three-year period (The Athletic). The move has led to a drop in transfer spending in recent windows, with £100m transfers now appearing a thing of the past in the Premier League.

In fact, in the recent transfer window, Tottenham’s £65m acquisition of Dominic Solanke was the most expensive signing among English clubs (TEAMtalk).

Spurs also have the fourth-highest net spend in the Premier League over the last five years, sitting behind Chelsea, Manchester United and Arsenal (Football 365).

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Daniel Levy will be pro financial restrictions

While implementation of the PSR has not been universally popular among all clubs, Maguire believes that the Tottenham hierarchy will vote for more spending restrictions than less.

He told TBR Football: “Spurs would be in favour of a system of more cost control rather than less. By Premier League standards, Spurs wage control is not the most demanding. They also don’t have the most significant levels of spending in terms of investment in the transfer market.

“It is a competitive budget but not one that is going to be at the elite level that Man City, Liverpool and historically Chelsea, although we don’t know whether Chelsea’s new wage structure is as different as the stories that have been leaked to the press suggest.

“I would anticipate that Spurs would rather have a system which is more geared towards financial control rather than letting the genie out of the bottle and allowing unlimited amounts of spending.”

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ENIC and Levy have never hidden the fact that we are a self-sustaining club and that there would never be capital injection from the owners.

The PSR rules give Tottenham a big advantage, given the amount of revenue the club generates in comparison to some of their rivals.

Tottenham Hotspur’s best player has been receiving a lot of credit from a Chelsea star, believe it or not, as Noni Madueke can’t help but pick the Spurs attacker over a number of other top players like Luis Diaz and Michael Olise.

Sonny is the top pick

Madueke, a former Spurs man himself, has been tearing it up at Chelsea lately, including an impressive hattrick against Wolves in a 6-2 win.

However, his latest task was a tricky one, with talkSPORT asking the young winger to pick between a number of the world’s best wingers in a game of stick or twist.

When asked to choose from Michael Olise or Heung-min Son, Madueke said: “I’m going to go with Son.”

Then, the Chelsea star was given the choice between Son or Liverpool’s Luis Diaz, and said: “I’m going to stay with Son.”

Madueke will know all about Son‘s talents from his time at Spurs as a youngster, and will no doubt be well aware of the South Korean’s quality still to this day.

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A world-class talent

He may be 32-years-old now, but Son continues to perform at the top of his game, most of the time. The Spurs skipper may have found it more difficult to play through the middle for Ange Postecoglou‘s side, but he does already have two goals to his name this season.

Meanwhile, Olise made a big move to Bayern Munich in the summer and has broken into the French national team as a result.

Luis Diaz has made an impressive start to life under Arne Slot, registering three goals and one assist in his first three games of the season (Transfermarkt).

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I would love to see what Olise and Diaz could do at Spurs, and annoyingly, we very nearly had the latter back before he signed for Liverpool. But, still, I would not pick either of them over Sonny. He is an all-time great, and a club legend.

Various Tottenham Hotspur players are participating in the international break this week, and one in particular has been attracting praise from his national team manager.

Bergvall makes competitive Sweden debut

Now, he has made his competitive debut for his country, coming on as a substitute in the 3-1 win over Azerbaijan in the Nations League on Thursday.

It wasn’t the most spectacular debut, but his manager, Jon Dahl Tomasson, has been really positive about the teenage talent, explaining why he wanted to give him some game time, and hyping up his potential.

Speaking to Expressen about the decision to play Bergvall over Hugo Larsson, Tomasson said: “I know that Hugo wants to start matches and do better. When I made the changes, I felt it was the right match to give Lucas Bergvall the chance. We cannot have all the youngest players on the field at the same time.”

Discussing the various young talents he has at his disposal with DN, Tomasson added: “There is a lot of competition. We have several young players with great potential.

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“Hugo is one of them. We also have [Yasin] Ayari, [Sebastian] Nanasi, and Bergvall today. There are four players who could mean a lot for the future of Swedish football.”

Bad reviews this week for Bergvall

Bergvall got some pretty poor feedback from his competitive debut from the Swedish media. Fotballskanalen said the midfielder ‘failed at everything’ he attempted.

Meanwhile, Svenska Fans suggested the youngster simply didn’t get sufficient time to accomplish anything in the game.

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Hopefully, Bergvall will get more minutes in the game against Estonia on Sunday to end the international break in style. He’s got a big month ahead of him at Spurs, with Carabao Cup and Europa League football on the horizon.

Tottenham Hotspur can be pretty difficult to negotiate with, and the club made it hard for one player to leave the club this summer despite making it clear that he has no future in North London.

No easy deal for Reguilon

It was a busy summer for Spurs, with 16 players leaving the club; from loan spells for young players, to contract terminations, to a few successful player sales.

However, one player remains. All signs pointed to Sergio Reguilon being shipped out last month, but he is still with Tottenham and now risks being frozen out entirely for the next six months.

According to Ben Jacobs for GiveMeSport, Spurs have not allowed themselves to roll over and give away the Spaniard on a deal they weren’t happy with.

Jacobs said: “I think the Reguilon situation is very interesting at Tottenham, because he had options during the course of the European window, but Tottenham were quite tough on terms.

“And it made it very difficult to resolve the Reguilon situation, which has been throughout the window, frayed more around a loan than a permanent deal, albeit a loan with an option, potentially, or from Spurs’ point of view, an obligation, if they can get it.”

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Where did it all go wrong?

Reguilon made a fairly strong start to his Spurs career under Jose Mourinho, but has not been utilised by Ange Postecoglou, or indeed Antonio Conte before him.

A report from The Athletic recently revealed that some figures at the club have described Reguilon as difficult when things don’t go his way and he isn’t being played regularly.

He is thought to be eager to play Champions League football, but there has been ‘minimal interest’ in his services this summer.

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I get that we want and almost need to get rid of Reguilon, but that doesn’t mean we should just bow down to whatever paltry offer we get just for the sake of it.

Hopefully, he gets a move soon, most likely to Turkey.

Eyebrows were raised when Spurs negotiated a purchase option and sell-on clause for Real Betis midfielder Johnny Cardoso, but Pete O’Rourke has explained why signing the American could end up being a shrewd move.

Raising the profile in the USA

The deal to sell Giovani Lo Celso to Real Betis at the end of the transfer window was a necessary one, but it is thought it will only bring in £8.4m for Tottenham (Football.London).

However, Spurs also have a sell-on clause involved for Lo Celso, meaning they will earn from any future sale Betis may make.

The more interesting element of the agreement, however, is the purchase option on Cardoso, which will become active next summer.

Spurs can sign the USA international for a reported £21m, but if they choose not to take up that option on Cardoso the Lilywhites would receive a percentage of any other transfer for the player elsewhere (Football.London).

Now, though, Football Insider reporter Pete O’Rourke has suggested Tottenham should sign Cardoso as it would be a “game-changer” in terms of the club’s profile in America.

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O’Rourke claims that acquiring a player like Cardoso would “help the brand” and be beneficial for Spurs in the long run in the marketing and revenue side of things.

Spurs taking over the world

Tottenham are already huge in Asia, thanks to Heung-min Son who is the biggest star in South Korea. The popularity of the club captain has seen the club selling thousands of his shirts every weekend, and a slew of Asian fans attending games.

Meanwhile, the likes of Lucas Bergvall and Dejan Kulusevski give Spurs an in with the Scandinavian market, and Cristian Romero and Richarlison give the Lilywhites a fanbase in South America.

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We should not sign a player simply because he would get us more American fans. I’m sure the club will do just that though, because that feels like a classic Daniel Levy move.

The fixtures will be coming thick and fast in September, with Carabao Cup and Europa League action getting underway for Spurs. With this in mind, it makes sense that Ange Postecoglou plans to give one new signing plenty of minutes this month.

Bergvall set for bumper role

Spurs signed a number of exciting players this summer, with teenagers like Archie Gray, Wilson Odobert, and Lucas Bergvall bringing youth to Postecoglou’s first-team squad.

The latter, Swedish star Bergvall, has already impressed in pre-season and, with the number 15 shirt, he is expected to play a fairly big part in Postecoglou‘s plans this season.

He has featured in all three Premier League games so far this term, albeit as a substitute each time. Now, according to a report from GiveMeSport, Postecoglou plans to integrate the midfielder into his system even more this month.

It is thought that with the Carabao Cup tie against Coventry City coming up, and the first Europa League game against Qarabag, too, Bergvall will get his chance to play more minutes and he is even expected to push for his first Spurs start.

Apparently, Postecoglou will rest James Maddison at some point this month, and Bergvall is determined to make the most of any opportunities that come his way and make an impact on the pitch.

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Postecoglou is a big fan

Bergvall himself has spoken to Goteborgs-Posten about his start at Spurs, and insists he only wants to keep improving as he continues to adjust to the step-up.

Postecoglou has praised the youngster, telling Football.London that he has been very impressed by the manner in which Bergvall has applied himself since joining the club.

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I am really excited for those two cup matches, as we will get to see a very different Spurs lineup. I think Bergvall will be a key part of those teams for both games, and could well make a big impact. I would not be surprised to see him bag a goal, to be honest.

Tottenham Hotspur are back in continental competition this season, and they’re strong favourites to go all the way and win the Europa League. Here, we take a look at the eight league phase games, and how the results might go.

Who are Tottenham playing?

Spurs have been drawn against Roma, Rangers, AZ Alkmaar, Galatasaray, Hoffenheim, Elfsborg, Ferencvaros, and Qarabag.

As part of the new Europa League format, each team plays eight league phase games to determine their placing in a 36-team table. The top eight teams progress to the knockout rounds, with teams 9-24 taking part in a play-off to get through, too.

Spurs vs Qarabag

Tottenham begin their Europa League campaign with a home tie against Azerbaijan outfit, Qarabag FK. The game will take place on Thursday, September 26, 2024.

Anyone can beat anyone in cup competitions, of course, but Spurs would be more than a little disappointed if they didn’t bag a comfortable three points in this one.

Player to watch: If Qarabag are to get anything from the game, they’ll need their Brazilian striker, Juninho, firing on all cylinders.

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Prediction: Spurs 3-0 Qarabag

Ferencvaros vs Spurs

Next up for Spurs is a trip to Hungary to face Ferencvaros. The game takes place on Thursday, October 3, 2024.

Away trips in Europe are always tricky, but again, the Lilywhites should have enough about them to come away from this one with all three points.

Player to watch: Adama Traore will be the key to Ferencvaros’s hopes in this one. No, not the former Wolves and Barcelona player, we’re talking about the Malian attacker who bagged 14 goals last season, and another three in Champions League qualifiers this season.

Prediction: Ferencvaros 1-2 Spurs

Spurs vs AZ Alkmaar

Later in October, Spurs will host Dutch outfit AZ Alkmaar at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The game is scheduled for Thursday, October 24, 2024.

Alkmaar finished fourth in the Eredivisie last season, beating Dutch giants Ajax to the European spot by a massive nine points in the end. If this game were not at home, Tottenham could have been in for a far more difficult proposition.

Player to watch: Troy Parrott left Spurs this summer, but he will return to North London sooner than expected for this one. It is written in the stars that the Irishman will make us regret selling him.

Prediction: Spurs 3-1 AZ Alkmaar

Galatasaray vs Spurs

One of the toughest ties for Spurs will be Galatasaray away, with the game lined up for Thursday, November 7, 2024.

The Lilywhites can expect a hostile crowd at RAMS Park, and the daunting atmosphere could well be enough to upset Ange Postecoglou‘s side.

Player to watch: Galatasaray actually have a number of good players, but the high-profile new signing, Victor Osimhen, will be the man everyone looks to for a moment of magic.

Prediction: Galatasaray 1-0 Spurs

Spurs vs Roma

Undoubtedly the biggest home game of the round comes on Thursday, November 28, 2024, as Roma visit the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Roma made it all the way to the final of this competition back in 2023, and will fancy their chances again as one of the top teams in the Europa League this season. Home advantage may be just enough to steer Spurs away from defeat here.

Player to watch: The likes of Paulo Dybala and Artem Dovbyk will be dangerous in attack, but it is Roma captain Lorenzo Pellegrini who will dictate the play for the Italians and he could really cause Spurs problems if he’s given enough freedom in the middle of the park.

Prediction: Spurs 2-2 Roma

Rangers vs Spurs

All eyes will be on Ange Postecoglou as he returns to Glasgow on Thursday, December 12, 2024, to take on his old rivals, Rangers.

The atmosphere will be electric at Ibrox, more than usual, and it’ll not be an easy game for Spurs to get into. Expect a scrappy affair, but one that Tottenham should still have just enough to seal a tight win.

Player to watch: Rangers captain James Tavernier is not just a tough defender, he’s also one of the main creative outlets for the Scottish side. If he’s given an opportunity to get forward, he will cause Spurs real problems.

Prediction: Rangers 1-2 Spurs

Hoffenheim vs Spurs

Spurs travel to Germany in the New Year, with an away fixture against Hoffenheim lined up for Thursday, January 23, 2025.

Hoffenheim finished seventh in the Bundesliga last season, and ended up just one point off the top six. That’s not to be sniffed at, and they could be a tougher challenge for Spurs than many would expect.

Player to watch: Hoffenheim recently signed Czech international Adam Hlozek from league champions Bayer Leverkusen, and while he’s not exactly prolific, he is more than capable of being a nuisance in and around the box.

Prediction: Hoffenheim 1-1 Spurs

Spurs vs Elfsborg

The final league phase game takes place on Thursday, January 30, 2025, as Tottenham host Swedish outfit, IF Elfsborg at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Elfsborg missed out on the Allsvenskan league title last season by a matter of two goals, finishing level on points with eventual champions, Malmo. Still, they should not be a problem for Spurs, especially on home turf.

Player to watch: Attacking midfielder, Michael Baidoo, is on fire this season, with eight goals and four assists to his name. If anyone is going to trouble Tottenham, it’ll be him.

Prediction: Spurs 4-0 Elfsborg

The outcome

If those predictions are correct, Spurs would end up with 17 points after eight game, with five wins, two draws, and just the one defeat away at Galatasaray.

It’s hard to say for sure, but it is very likely that would be enough to land Spurs a spot in the top eight of the Europa League league phase, and get them automatic qualification for the knockout rounds.