Tottenham Hotspur have been through it this season, but there’s still hope that Ange Postecoglou will fashion something wonderful out of this campaign.
A mini-resurgence had seen Spurs win three on the trot in the Premier League before Manchester City edged the north Londoners on their home patch – thus, Aston Villa remain nine points ahead in 10th.
Postecoglou will know that chances of success through the top flight are negligible, but as AZ Alkmaar await in the last 16 of the Europa League, fans can yet hold onto hope that the manager’s bold trophy-winning claims could be realised.
And if such hopes don’t come to fruition, there have still been some bright sparks who could play a big part in the years ahead.
Spurs' bright sparks in 2024/25
This week, Archie Gray was named the Young Player of the Year at the London Football Awards. The 18-year-old has been a revelation this season, instrumental in combatting the injury crisis and playing in unnatural central and wide-defensive roles despite a touted career in the middle of the park.
Having beaten Brentford to snap him up from Leeds United last summer in a deal worth somewhere between £30m and £40m, there’s little question Postecoglou has a potential superstar on his hands.
By and large, last summer’s transfer activity offers promise. Dominic Solanke brings physicality and a focal point to the front of the ship, while we’ve mentioned Gray and indeed Lucas Bergvall belying his youthful years to stake his claim as one of Europe’s foremost teenage talents.
Then, of course, there’s Mikey Moore, who has already started to earn regular opportunities in the senior Tottenham setup at 17. He’s off the mark as well, scoring against Elfsborg in the Europa League, having also featured in seven Premier League games, assisting against Everton.
The pick of the bunch, though, might be Djed Spence, who was written off as a flop last season as he completed loans with Leeds United and then Genoa in Italy, but he’s wedged his way into Ange’s plans this year, with reporter Rob Guest remarking he “really has excelled”.
With Pedro Porro struggling and Destiny Udogie’s fitness issues causing concerns, Spence’s rise has been uplifting, with Tottenham learning from their past mistakes in letting the ‘original’ Spence leave for a relatively small fee.
Spurs must regret selling the 'original' Spence
Kyle Walker-Peters made a bright start to life at Tottenham after emerging from the youth setup, playing 24 times for the first team, scoring one goal and adding five more assists.
However, the 27-year-old’s opportunities were limited and he was sold to Southampton in a deal worth just £12m in 2020, with Jose Mourinho signing Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg in return.
In total, the Tottenham academy product has played 141 times in the Premier League, scoring twice and supplying 11 assists for his teammates.
He’s not the most offensively clinical of wide defenders, but the £20k-per-week talent has proven himself to have such qualities in his locker – see his “outstanding” finish against Manchester City below – and you feel that Postecoglou’s football may have coaxed such qualities to the fore had he still been operating in the capital.
Though Southampton are all but condemned to relegation this season, Walker-Peters has still been an able and willing member, bringing quality and impetus to Ivan Juric’s flagging team.
As per Sofascore, the 5 foot 8 ace has won 50% of his ground duels – a decent return given the overload of defensive problems Southampton bear – and has at least attempted to make things happen, averaging one dribble per game while also completing 91% of his passes.
With Porro seemingly playing on borrowed time, you could say injury-hit Spurs might have made good use of such an extra option at right-back. Indeed, Walker-Peters could have played an important and abiding role in Tottenham’s first team over the years.
Southampton’s season has been a pitiful thing, but KWP has still managed to showcase his qualities. As per FBref, he ranks among the top 10% of Premier League full-backs this term for pass completion, the top 1% for progressive carries and the top 12% for successful take-ons per 90.
A successful take-on is recorded when a player beats their opponent by directly carrying the ball past them while retaining possession.
Not only does this perfectly illustrate his technical and athletic skill, but it’s also a skill set bearing a tactical likeness to Spence, which only adds to the argument that he would be fit for purpose in Ange’s squad.
Moreover, the Saints star, like Spence, is positionally dynamic.
Left wing-back
9
0
0
Right wing-back
6
0
0
Right-back
5
0
0
Centre-back
5
0
1
Left-back
4
0
1
He really could have been the original iteration of Spence, providing Tottenham with cover over the years and maybe even finding N17 to be the hothouse he needed to realise his potential.
Instead, he has ebbed and flowed in an unsteady Southampton system, though still managing to prove his skill.
Last month, Football Insider revealed that Southampton were bracing themselves for winter bids with Walker-Peters nearing the end of the road at the St. Mary’s.
West Ham United and Leicester City were among the clubs intrigued, and so were Tottenham.
Walker-Peters is out of contract at the end of the season, and given Southampton’s imperilled position, is not likely to entertain feeble notions of a renewal.
Indeed, he has enough quality to play for a team like Tottenham (again), and it’s something Postecoglou and co must chew on over the coming months.
With Porro under fire for his performances of late, sapped and wearied from the seemingly endless issues lashing at him and his team, it might be that Spurs look to invest in a new full-back – after all, Spence is firing on all cylinders but looks so comfortable on the left.
And if they move to sign this talent after so many years away, you have to wonder whether Daniel Levy might just regret the whole ordeal happened in the first place, with Porro lacking support.
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