Tottenham Hotspur are absolutely flying at the moment.
Ange Postecoglou’s side may have slipped up against Brighton & Hove Albion earlier this month, but across all competitions, they have won seven of their last eight games and are currently scoring for fun.
However, while the North Londoners look seriously potent going forward, they could do with another option off the bench, a more physical presence akin to Arsenal’s Kai Havertz.
Fortunately, should Postecoglou want to bring such a profile into his squad down the line, the club already have the perfect youngster ready to come in and fulfill that role, someone other than Dominic Solanke.
Spurs' exciting youngsters
Okay, so before we get to the striker in question, let’s look at one of the other most exciting youngsters in the academy, and it’s not Mikey Moore. The name fans should look out for is 16-year-old midfielder Lucá Williams-Barnett, who made the permanent move up to the under-18s squad in July after making a handful of impressive performances last year, and to say he’s looking good so far would be a significant understatement.
For example, in seven games this season, the Luton-born gem has scored eight goals and provided two assists, meaning he’s averaging 1.42 goal involvements every game, which is frankly ridiculous for someone his age.
Now, it’s probably too soon to see him make it into the first team this year, but given Moore’s rapid rise up the ranks and Williams-Barnett’s sensational form in the academy, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him given a chance next season.
That said, the midfield maestro isn’t the only exciting youngster who could see some more senior minutes in the near future, as the promising Will Lankshear could develop into Postecoglou’s Havertz.
Why Lankshear could be Spurs' own Havertz
Okay, so before the pitchforks come out, we are sure that Lankshear has the potential to develop his own style under the tutelage of Postecoglou, but should the Australian want a forward in the mould of Havertz, then the 19-year-old could also provide that.
For example, while the 6 foot 2 Welwyn Garden City-born poacher is a bit shorter than the 6 foot 4 Arsenal ace, he is slightly taller than the 6 foot 1 Solanke and could, therefore, become something of a target man to bounce balls off of down the line.
Moreover, the Englishman has already shown at the youth level that he can provide a serious physical presence in attack, with Spurs expert Jon Wenham describing him as “an absolute unit for his age,” suggesting he already knows how to use his stature to his advantage.
Lastly, while the Lilywhites’ faithful might not want to admit it, the former Chelsea ace has become a reliable goalscorer for the Gunners since moving up top, and based on Lankshear’s youth record, he could be as well.
For example, in his 34 games for the U21 side, the promising striker has scored 26 goals and provided three assists, which equates to an average of a goal involvement every 1.17 games.
Appearances
5
34
2
Goals
4
26
1
Assists
2
3
0
Goal Involvements per Match
1.2
0.85
0.50
Ultimately, Havertz is an interesting player to compare Lankshear to and potentially someone to measure him against in the future, but the youngster looks talented enough to develop in various ways in the coming years, and fans should be excited about seeing him do so.
Outshone by Moore: Ange must axe 5/10 Spurs dud who lost the ball 11 times
Spurs have a serious talent on their hands and a player whose future may well be elsewhere.
2 ByJack Salveson HolmesOct 25, 2024