Tottenham now have a huge group of 17 players out on loan across England and Europe this summer and all of them are looking to impress.
Spurs have sent out a mix of first team stars and youngsters to clubs across the Premier League, Football League, as well as Italy, Germany, Portugal and Belgium. Some have left with obligations for their new clubs to purchase them if they meet certain requirements and others are simply looking to impress their new employers and Roberto De Zerbi back home in N17.
The north London club agreed a flurry of loan deals late in the window and Andy Scoulding, the club's head of loans and pathways, is going to have a busy time on his hands keeping track of all 17 of them and getting out to see as many of them as possible over the season to come.
We're going to try to keep an eye on them all as well across this campaign, including those who have obligations to leave because they are still technically Spurs players until the moment they officially depart the club if they trigger the mandatory purchase agreement.
Here's what happened to all 17 of Tottenham's loan stars this week, including what was said about those who have just arrived at their new clubs:
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Guglielmo Vicario (Juventus)
Guglielmo Vicario made it clear that he wanted to leave Spurs in his first meeting with De Zerbi and he had to remain patient to eventually seal his dream move to Juventus, in a free loan deal containing an option to buy the 29-year-old for a total of £8.5million, which includes £1.7million in add-ons.
Vicario idolised Gianluigi Buffon as a youngster so is following in the Italy legend's footsteps with the move to Turin and he started his time with The Old Lady well, with two clean sheets in his opening matches against Frosinone on his debut and then against Parma in his home debut in front of the Juventus fans.
“I’ve always hoped to join Juventus, but I can’t control the transfer market," Vicario said in an interview published in Gazzetta dello Sport. "I spent a pre-season without any friendlies, confident in the transfer. I waited for Juve, but I never felt like a second-string player.
"If I’m here, it’s because the club and the coach chose me and wanted me as Juventus’ goalkeeper. It was my goal, and I achieved it. “All the other talk is just idle chatter. The present counts, not the past."
The Italy international added: "Juve is worth more than the Premier League! Winning with this shirt would be the ultimate gratification and worth more than anything else.
"Buffon’s autographed jersey was a birthday present from my cousin, a Juventus fan like my dad. They passed on their passion for Juve to me. Gigi’s jersey watched over me for many years and brought me good luck."
On joining Juventus, he said: "If I said I experienced everything normally, I’d be a hypocrite. Wearing the Juventus jersey is such a privilege and an honour, the emotions are indescribable. Pride and excitement, yes, but fear, no, because that’s a feeling you shouldn’t experience in football. A dream."
Pape Matar Sarr (Juventus)
Vicario will now have a familiar face in Turin with him after Pape Matar Sarr completed a £2.4million loan to Juventus with certain conditions during this coming season turning the move into an obligation to buy him for £23.5million.
The 23-year-old played 141 games for Tottenham but fell down the pecking order after the £185million swoop for Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes from Newcastle and West Ham respectively. De Zerbi told football.london that the Senegal international had asked to leave the club and on doing so he posted a message to the fans.
"Thank you, Tottenham, for all the wonderful years we've spent together. A special thank you to the fans for their incredible support and love. See you again very soon," said the Senegal international.
Sarr had returned to training for Spurs after his injury so will be hoping to play a part in a big match for Juventus at home against Milan on Sunday.
Radu Dragusin (Fiorentina)
Radu Dragusin is the third Tottenham player out on loan in Serie A this season after the centre-back joined Fiorentina this summer in a loan deal with a £21.4million obligation to buy which will be triggered by various conditions as this campaign goes on.
It all started well with the 24-year-old making a big impact on his competitive debut, which came at home against De Zerbi's old side Benevento in the Coppa Italia on Friday night with his first assist for his new club, in their centenary season, in the 4-1 victory.
However things did not go well at all in the Romanian's first two Serie A appearances for the club, shipping seven goals in the space of five days across a 4-0 defeat at Roma and then a 3-0 at home to Frosinone last weekend.
Kevin Danso (Sunderland)
De Zerbi told football.london that Kevin Danso asked him if he could leave Spurs last Thursday, amid interest from Sunderland and he was left out of the starting line-up against Charlton in the Carabao Cup.
It took until deadline day but the centre-back eventualy secured a £2.5million loan with an obligation for the Black Cats to buy him for £22.5million if they stay up in the Premier League.
Sunderland's director of football Florent Ghisolfi worked with Danso during their time at Lens and said: "Kevin is a player I know very well from my time working with him. He will bring strength, character and know-how to the squad, and vast experience of playing in domestic and European competitions. We’re thrilled to add him to the squad for a historic season in Sunderland AFC’s history."
Danso said to the Spurs fans on social media: "Every chapter has its moment, and now it’s time for a new one. I want to say a huge thank you to everyone who has been part of my journey at @spursofficial. To my teammates, coaches, staff and, most importantly, the fans. Thank you for the memories, the support and everything you’ve given me along the way.
"I’ll always be grateful for the time I’ve spent here and for the people I’ve met who have made this chapter so special. There have been many moments I’ll carry with me for the rest of my career. Leaving is never easy, but I leave with nothing but gratitude and pride for what we’ve shared. I’ll always have a special place in my heart for this club.
"894. Forever part of the story. Thank you for everything."
Mikey Moore (Koln)
It took a while for Mikey Moore to get his move to Germany as it had to wait until De Zerbi had got his new Tottenham attackers through the door.
In the meantime the 19-year-old got plenty of minutes for Spurs to help increase his Premier League experience before heading to Bundesliga outfit Koln. There is plenty of hope that after a big season on loan at Rangers, this latest move - which contains no option to buy the teenager - will be a big one for Moore to dazzle and progress.
"We are very pleased that Mikey is now at FC. We have been in close contact with him, his representatives, and Tottenham for quite some time and have had very good discussions about his sporting prospects. In the process, we were able to convince him to join FC and embark on our journey together," said Koln's managing director for sport Thomas Kessler.
"Throughout all these weeks, we repeatedly felt how much he could hardly wait to finally get started with us. Despite his young age, Mikey already demonstrates remarkable maturity. He possesses excellent technical ability, is creative and fearless in one-on-one situations, and repeatedly creates danger in attack with his dynamism and confidence.
“With his profile, he expands our options in the final third and will give us additional versatility. We are convinced that he will take the next steps in his development with us."
Koln face a Friday night match at Stuttgart and it will require a race against time to get Moore's work permit in place for that Bundesliga match so he can show what he can do.
Souza (Porto)
Souza has been linked with a move to Portugal all summer, albeit mainly with permanent deals. Spurs had no real intention of selling the 20-year-old left-back, who they only signed from Santos in January this year and rate highly.
Now the Brazilian will be heading to Porto in a free loan for the season, without an option to buy, and the Portuguese side wil take on the player's salary. Porto also stated that, unusually, this transfer did not involve any intermediaries.
Souza will be heading to a country where the language will not be an issue for him and he admitted it was a different experience at Tottenham.
“Everything was different: the language, the culture, and the club. I had spent ten years at Santos, and it was a great challenge. I arrived, trained, and played right away; it all happened very quickly. I see this stage primarily as a learning experience that I take to strengthen myself for the future," he said.
"I am very young, but I have been playing at the highest level for several years, first in a strong Brazilian League and then in the Premier League, which is one of the best competitions in the world. All these experiences have strengthened me to be here today, ready to fight for titles."
On his strengths, the Brazilian said: "I am a very offensive, very skillful player, who has grit and always thinks about playing forward. Off the field, I am a person who likes to be in a group and who always tries to help and continue learning. I work with the focus on winning.
"I am very well prepared. They have always demanded a lot from me and I have had great responsibilities. I started playing professional football young, but always with great responsibilities, now I have the mission of bringing many victories to this giant club."
Like Koln, Porto also face a Friday night match and all eyes will be on whether Souza can feature, having not played a minute yet this season for Spurs or been involved in a matchday squad.
Kota Takai (Sint-Truidense VV)
There are high hopes for Kota Takai at Belgian club STVV and he has joined the perfect club in the Jupiler League as they have Japanese owners and a history of working with players from that country.
Japan international Takai, 21, needs to get his career back on track after an injury-hit first year at Spurs, including an unsuccessful loan at Borussia Monchengladbach, and the centre-back is yet to play a competitive game for the north London club.
Sint-Truiden CEO Takayuki Tateishi confirmed the Belgian club beat off rival interest to land Takai on loan.
"Kota is a hugely talented central defender who has mastered every aspect of modern football," he said. "He possesses excellent game intelligence and is two-footed. Add his aerial ability to the mix, and you have the ideal profile for our defence.
"We are delighted that he has chosen to further his career at Sint-Truiden. He attracted a lot of interest but decided, in consultation with his parent club Tottenham Hotspur, to make the move to Haspengouw. We are convinced that Kota will play a key role during this historic season."
The Spurs man said after completing his switch: "At STVV, I’m joining a team that has a very clear idea of how it wants to play. In the match against Antwerp (1-4), I saw a lot of energy, courage, and confidence in the squad. That suits my style of play.
"I’ve previously played alongside Shogo Taniguchi at Kawasaki Frontale and for the Japanese national team. I look forward to growing alongside him and my new teammates and achieving great results together."
Yang Min-hyeok (Westerlo)
Takai will have a Spurs team-mate in Belgium, about an hour's drive away, as Yang Min-hyeok is at Jupiler Pro League side Westerlo, where Luka Vuskovic and Alfie Devine, both now having left the club, enjoyed a successful loan.
The 20-year-old South Korean winger came off the bench in the first two games for his new club but was not in the squad for last week's 2-2 draw at home against Zulte Waregem as he missed out through injury.
Yang will be looking to impress and get lots of game time this season after his previous two loans at Portsmouth and then Coventry brought too many matches watching on from the sidelines, particularly with Frank Lampard's Championship winners.
Yusuf Akhamrich (Leyton Orient)
Yusuf Akhamrich is one to keep an eye on and he appears to be taking the step up to League One with Leyton Orient in his stride.
The 20-year-old winger enjoyed a spectacular loan at Bristol Rovers in the second half of last season and has been going from strength to strength since.
He already has three goals and one assist to his name from his first four League One matches this season and will now be joined by former Spurs team-mate Dane Scarlett, after the 22-year-old striker completed a permanent switch to Orient late on deadline day.
On that same night, Akhamrich was dazzling with one clinical finish and another eye-catching curling on, while providing an assist with a great cross for Jaze Kabia, in a top drawer display as Orient beat Bromley 5-0 on the road.
Akhamrich has not had a look in with the first team at Spurs yet but he's starting to make a real case for himself.
Mason Melia (Lincoln City)
Mason Melia continues to get experience with Championship side Lincoln as the 18-year-old adapts to his new club.
The young striker, who made his Republic of Ireland senior debut this summer and played 98 senior matches for St Patrick's Athletic before Spurs saw off competition to sign him, had got 100 minutes action so far in coming off the bench in three of Lincoln's opening six matches and starting one.
Melia played 71 minutes of the 4-1 victory at Blackpool in the Carabao Cup last Tuesday night, with a 6.7 in Fotmob's player ratings, before getting some late minutes in this Tuesday's 0-0 draw at home against Blackburn.
A back problem and a chest infection slowed down Melia's introduction to Tottenham life after he finally arrived in January this year, but he was involved with De Zerbi's first team during the summer and went on the tour to New Zealand and Australia. Now he will be looking to show what he can do in the Championship.
Jamie Donley (Luton Town)
Jamie Donley has reunited with former team-mate Josh Keeley with a loan move to League One side Luton Town.
The 21-year-old, on a straight loan with no option for the Hatters to buy him, has been thrust immediately into the action.
The Northern Ireland international played 62 minutes of Luton's 5-2 defeat at Mansfield at the weekend and then got the full 90 minutes as they won 2-0 at home against Stockport, grabbing his first assist for his new club. That was a ball through to Callum Marshall to score and the Spurs man earned plenty of praise for his second half showing in particular.
Luton boss Jack Wilshere believes Donley will have a big impact for his side.
"Jamie's a quality player and someone who we have kept our eye on since January. He went to the Championship with Oxford, but we’ve maintained a relationship with him," said the former Arsenal midfielder.
"One thing we've done really well in this window is that we’ve had targets we wanted to go after. We knew the positions we wanted to improve or add depth in, and Jamie's definitely been top of that list for a long time, so to get it done feels like a really important signing. He’s a player that can make the difference in the final third, and he also gives us something different in the centre of midfield, being left-footed.
"I kept saying that we weren't done with our business, but we had to wait for the right opportunity. Players sometimes come up a little bit later in the window, especially those like Jamie, who was really close to the first team at Tottenham all pre-season, and then gets told late on that he can go out. It was always in the plans to strengthen in that area and we’re delighted to get this one over the line."
George Abbott (Mansfield Town)
George Abbott has returned to Mansfield after last season's loan got cut short by injury and the 21-year-old will be looking to make up for lost time once he is full back and sharp after recently returnig to the grass.
Town boss Nigel Clough said: "We’re extremely pleased that George has decided to come back for a second spell with us. We were hugely impressed with him last season and hope he’ll complement our midfield for the remainder of the season.
"He won’t be fully fit when he arrives and we'll have to give him a few weeks until he’s available, but the deal reflects that."
Oliver Irow (Plymouth Argyle)
Oliver Irow has started his time at Plymouth in League One with plenty of minutes in his opening three matches and a goal in the 4-2 Carabao Cup defeat at Premier League side Coventry last week.
The 20-year-old winger had started his first two matches for Argyle and was then brought off the bench for the second half of Tuesday night's 2-0 defeat at Leicester with both of the hosts' goals coming in added time at the end of the first period. Unfortunately the young Spurs attacker was unable to help Plymouth find a way back.
Reiss Russell-Denny (Bristol Rovers)
Reiss Russell-Denny returned from Tottenham's tour Down Under to make his first steps in senior competitive football with Bristol Rovers.
The 20-year-old midfielder has had to watch on unused from the bench in the past couple of League Two matches for Rovers after seeing action in all four of their games beforehand, grabbing a couple of assists to his name.
He will be looking to get back in the action this weekend as Rovers host Rotherham.
Damola Ajayi (Barnet)
Damola Ajayi made the switch to League Two side Barnet late in the window looking to bring his wing skills to another club.
The 20-year-old spent last season on loan at Doncaster Rovers and then Bromley, having made his Tottenham bow the previous campaign with a spectacular debut goal against Elfsborg on the club's route to winning the Europa League.
Barnet boss Dean Brennan said: "Damola is a really exciting young player who gives us pace, energy and versatility at the top end of the pitch.
"He has been developed within an excellent academy at Tottenham and has already gained valuable experience in the EFL. We believe there is a lot more to come from him and we are delighted that he has chosen Barnet for the next stage of his career."
Luca Gunter (Boreham Wood)
Tottenham's 21-year-old goalkeeper Luca Gunter is getting his second loan experience after his time at Wealdstone last season.
The young stopper is enjoying plenty of minutes in the National League with Boreham Wood and has started all six of their games so far this season. Last weekend he played his part in their 3-2 victory away against Worthing.
Dylan Thompson (Enfield Town)
Spurs' 18-year-old keeper Dylan Thompson continues to get senior experience himself with his loan at Enfield Town in the Isthmian League Premier Division.
The teenager was in goal again as Enfield recorded a 4-1 victory following a short trip across north London to Wingate & Finchley and the three points put the team top of the table.