There was some concern during the summer transfer window that Tottenham were so willing to let Djed Spence leave the club, following a standout World Cup campaign for England.
Spence impressed under Thomas Tuchel in America, Canada and Mexico as the Three Lions reached the semi-final stage. And the 26-year-old was expected to vie with Pedro Porro for the right-back spot in Roberto De Zerbi's Spurs side in 2026/27. He also offered back-up in the left-back area, although Andy Robertson arrived from Liverpool to challenge Destiny Udogie there.
However, De Zerbi deemed Spence surplus to requirements and accepted a £30million offer from Inter Milan for the full-back.
Since then, Porro has missed two of the opening five games for Spurs and went off injured just 19 minutes into their most recent match with Aston Villa before the international break, leaving Archie Gray to fill in, with no other recognised right-backs on the books.
But there may be method to the madness, with De Zerbi potentially having the perfect Spence replacement already at his disposal, albeit maybe some time off making a first team appearance.
The name Oscar Sandiford may not be familiar to too many Tottenham supporters, but if he continues on the same trajectory he will be in the not too distant future.
Spurs' teenage star can play across the back-line
Sandiford has been named in the Guardian's Next Generation 2026 list of the top 20 Premier League players born between September 1, 2009 and August 31, 2010. The national newspaper compiles the list every single year, looking into the academies of the Premier League's clubs to highlight the next generation of talent.
Aged 16, Sandiford is Spurs' representative on the list, with the Guardian's Dave Hytner saying: "There are a few first-year scholars at Spurs who stand out but Sandiford is considered to be the most advanced. Able to play in central defence, he has settled in as the right-back for the club’s Under-18s – for whom he played the bulk of last season while still a schoolboy.
"He also helped his own year group team to win the Under-16 Premier League Cup."
Stockily built, quick and strong, a club insider describes him as being “like a bull” when he rushes forward on the overlap.
Sandiford, who joined Tottenham from Crystal Palace in 2024 at the age fo 14, has played five of Spurs U18s' six league games this season, with the club top of the South group, unbeaten so far with five wins and a draw. The teenager has three assists to his name from right-back.
He is already playing for England's U18s, getting the full 90 minutes under his belt in the 2-0 defeat to Spain on Saturday. What will endear him more to Spurs fans is that he is one of their own, having been brought up as a Tottenham supporter, attending White Hart Lane with his father when he was younger.
Tottenham fans have been clamouring to see more of forward Luca Williams-Barnett in the first team and it may not be long before they are talking about Sandiford making that step up too.