Journalist Alastair Gold has confirmed that Tottenham youngster Alfie Devine has a 'dirt-cheap' clause in his loan deal from Preston, suggesting he is worth triple that.
Spurs sent a host of youngsters out on loan last summer, and a number of them are performing at a strong level, just as Tottenham would have planned.
The likes of Luka Vuskovic, Mikey Moore, and Will Lankshear, alongside Devine, have all gained valuable experience at a strong level, meaning there's a chance they come back and make an impact for Tottenham.
Devine has been a key player for Preston this season, and it's no surprise that they are hoping to secure his signature on a permanent basis.
Gold has now revealed his release clause, his option to buy clause, and it could be concerningly low.
Alfie Devine Option-to-Buy Clause Revealed
Speaking on his YouTube channel, reliable journalist Gold has confirmed that Preston have the option to buy Devine in the summer transfer window for a fee of £4.5 million.
Gold believes that the fee is dirt cheap, and he's a player who will instantly be worth triple that.
"Preston have got an option to buy him, thought to be around 4.5 million, which a lot of people are saying is quite steep. Look, if I'm Preston, I don't want Devine to go because I do genuinely think he's got so much talent. I'd love Roberto De Zerbi to have a look at him before he makes any decision. If I'm Preston, I'm probably thinking, can we stretch to £4.5 million, because he's instantly probably worth more than that? It's quite low for him. I think he will go for triple that."
Although the option to buy clause is relatively cheap in the grand scheme of things, it might not be cheap for a club like Preston.
However, the championship club might feel that if he's worth significantly more than that, then they could secure his signature before selling him on.
Either way, it's perhaps a worryingly low figure for a player of his talent.
Devine Clause a Poor Move in Hindsight
Although it is always difficult to tell how a player is going to kick on and develop, it was a poor move from Tottenham in hindsight to include an option to buy clause.
There is little benefit for Tottenham in including this clause, as £4.5 million isn't going to hugely benefit them from a financial perspective.
If Devine kicks on as he has done, then they could lose a top young talent for under £5 million.
When sending youngsters out on loan, Tottenham should just be focusing on their development, hoping for them to become key players in the future, rather than making a quick bit of cash.