Leeds United’s highly-rated 16-year-old striker Oliver Boast is set to join Tottenham Hotspur.
Boast, one of Leeds’ prized academy assets, has chosen to continue his development with the north London club.
The player’s decision to move south meant Leeds could either negotiate a fee with Tottenham or allow a tribunal to decide compensation. They went with the former and sources, speaking on the condition of anonymity, indicated a seven-figure sum has been agreed for Boast’s switch.
Boast, who turned 16 last month, is only seven months younger than Harry Gray and has followed in his fellow striker’s footsteps through the academy. Leeds can normally show their best young players a pathway to the first team, but Boast is behind one of England’s best young strikers in the pecking order.
Gray made his senior debut last term and is expected to only increase his minutes in the coming campaign. Rather than compete with Gray over the coming years, Boast has opted to try his hand in the capital with Tottenham.
Those who have coached Boast at Thorp Arch describe him as a modern No 9, who can lead the line and can play as a lone striker. Boast’s speed has been described as one of his best attributes, as he runs off the shoulder of the last man and gets in behind opposition defences.
His rise through the academy has accelerated over the past two seasons. He made his debut for the club’s under-18s last August, at 15 years old. He was then named in England’s under-16 squad last December, scoring his first goal during that camp too.
Boast went on to make his debut for United’s under-21s in April, still aged only 15. That progression was the culmination of a goal-laden campaign with the under-18s, which included a maiden hat-trick in late April.
(Photo: Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)