Tottenham could still avoid financial Alfie Devine transfer error as Preston form steals headlines
Tottenham Hotspur could have their transfer mess saved by the fact that Preston North End may not be able to afford Alfie Devine on a permanent deal.
Spurs sent Devine out on loan to Preston in the summer, who has been a constant first-team starter under head coach Paul Heckingbottom.
The Hotspur Way graduate was at the heart of Preston’s 3-1 home win against Stoke City on Friday, scoring a brace and once again stealing the show.
Heckingbottom will want to keep the 21-year-old beyond this season, but has already expressed his frustration with the finances his club has available for transfers.
There is a reported buy-option in Devine’s contract, though the exact it’s not been officially confirmed by any reputable sources.
MORE SPURS STORIES
🚨 TOTTENHAM TRANSFER HUB 🚨
Breaking N17 recruitment news: Top targets, deals in progress, whispers, signings, departures, contract updates.
This is why Preston North End are priced out of Alfie Devine deal
Lilywhite Rose owner John Wenham suggested Devine’s buy option would be “fairly high”, as the midfielder is rated as a big prospect internally.
It’s been confirmed that Preston’s buy option is a seven-figure sum, but the Lancashire Lilywhites may not have the money to make the deal happen anyway.
As highlighted by Transfermarkt in the table above, Preston’s current club record signing is Milutin Osmajic, who cost them £2.15million.
They have only ever spent over £2m on one occasion from these readings, and it would be a surprise to see Tottenham have included a buy option for anything less than that.
There have been whispers that the buy option is in the region of £4.5m, but as mentioned earlier, nothing credible has been reported about the exact figure.
This now gives Johan Lange the opportunity to rectify his transfer error and get a bigger sale for the young man this summer.
Is there a scenario where Devine can become a starter for Spurs?
It would be hard to see Devine ever becoming a regular starter for Tottenham, unless they were relegated to the Championship.
The midfielder has undeniable talent, but it’s not really much compared to what Dele Alli was doing in the lower leagues before his breakthrough in N17.
Devine’s contract was renewed before he was sent to Deepdale in the summer, and he is tied down to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium until 2027.
A decision will have to be made, but selling him on for an eight-figure deal could be on the cards, especially if Preston can’t pay up.