Tottenham boss Roberto De Zerbi will run the rule over a Spurs youngster this summer, and there is a 'real chance' of a senior breakthrough for him.
Tottenham braced for vital London derby against Chelsea
Tuesday night at Stamford Bridge is as high-stakes as it gets.
Tottenham travel to Chelsea sitting 17th in the Premier League on 38 points, just two above West Ham in 18th, with two games to play.
A defeat in west London — combined with a West Ham victory over Newcastle on Sunday — would take the relegation battle right down to the final afternoon.
Spurs then host Everton on the last day, by which point the equation could be simple: win or go down.
It is a fixture that would have been unthinkable at the start of the season.
Chelsea against Spurs, a London derby with genuine relegation implications for one of the two clubs. De Zerbi has done a commendable job since taking charge on March 31, pulling the side out of the bottom three with back-to-back wins at Wolves and Aston Villa.
However, Monday's 1-1 draw with Leeds — a game in which Mathys Tel scored a stunning opener before giving away a penalty through a reckless overhead kick — was another example of the fine margins that continue to define Tottenham's season.
De Zerbi will demand everything from his players at Stamford Bridge.
The atmosphere will be hostile, the stakes immense, and the scrutiny on every decision intense. Spurs cannot afford to be passive. Their survival depends on what happens in the next 10 days.
Behind the scenes, though, the planning for next season has already begun.
Some of it centres around exciting young talent, with De Zerbi and his coaching staff planning to throw Luka Vuskovic straight into the action next term after a sensational loan spell at Hamburg.
However, he is not the only Lilywhites gem who could be given a chance to impress in the first team.
De Zerbi to assess Will Lankshear with Tottenham chance on the cards
According to Football Insider's Pete O'Rourke, De Zerbi is preparing to assess Will Lankshear in pre-season training when the 21-year-old returns from his loan spell at Oxford United.
Lankshear has enjoyed an outstanding campaign at the Kassam Stadium, finishing as Oxford's top scorer with 12 goals and four assists in 47 appearances — a hugely impressive return for a player in a side that was ultimately relegated from the Championship.
O'Rourke explained the situation on the Transfer Insider podcast.
"There's a number of clubs that are keeping tabs on Lankshear because of how well he did at Oxford on loan," said the reporter.
"Lankshear's very highly regarded at Tottenham, they feel that he's got a real chance of making a breakthrough there as well. Obviously no decision will be taken on his long-term future until Tottenham have clarity on which division they're going to be in for next season as well.
"He will go back to Tottenham for pre-season, and he'll be hoping to impress Roberto de Zerbi in pre-season when he will have a chance to show what he can do.
"But until Tottenham know where they're going to be, there'll be no decisions made on any players."
That final point is crucial. Everything at Spurs this summer — from transfer strategy to squad planning to managerial authority — hinges on whether the club stays up.
Relegation would trigger an exodus of first-team talent and a fundamental restructuring of the budget. Survival would allow De Zerbi to build, and Lankshear could be part of that.
Leeds have also been linked with a move for the striker, and his performances since have only strengthened the queue.
Lankshear's Oxford manager Matt Bloomfield was full of praise after the season ended, describing the young forward as "an absolute credit" and predicting he could reach the very top of the game. His finishing was described as "top drawer" — and the numbers back that up.
Under contract at Spurs until 2029, Lankshear is in no rush. But De Zerbi wants to see him up close before making any decisions, and pre-season will be his audition.
First, though, there is the small matter of Chelsea on Tuesday, and everything that follows.