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Tottenham Hotspur enjoyed one of their strongest summer windows in recent years, spending over £300m on reinforcements to give Roberto De Zerbi plenty of options for the Premier League campaign.
The Italian boss also has a promising crop of academy youngsters at his disposal, with some gaining senior experience on loan while others continue to develop across the Under-21, Under-18 and Under-15 ranks.
With competition for places fierce at Tottenham, opportunities are limited, but the quality within the academy means several highly rated youngsters could be difficult for De Zerbi to overlook.
Spurs have a proud tradition of producing household names, with Harry Kane, Andros Townsend and club legend Ledley King among those to emerge through the academy ranks.
With no European football on the agenda this season, opportunities for rotation will inevitably be fewer, although the cups could provide stages for some of the club’s eager youngsters to stake their claim.
A handful of appearances could be enough for these prospects to catch De Zerbi’s eye, but they will need to make the most of any opportunities that come their way.
Inside Futbol take a look at five Tottenham talents with limited first-team experience who could be ready to establish themselves in the senior squad.
The 17-year-old’s ability is no secret to De Zerbi, who has already handed the youngster opportunities throughout pre-season, both during Spurs’ tour of Asia and after their return to England. He featured against Auckland FC and Sydney FC, scoring a Panenka penalty in the latter to help Tottenham secure victory.
The attacking midfielder, who is comfortable off either foot, also provided an assist against Hoffenheim last month.
His promising pre-season was rewarded with minutes in Tottenham’s 5-1 EFL Cup victory over Charlton Athletic. With Xavi Simons and Dejan Kulusevski not yet at full fitness, the door could be opening at the right time for the teenager, who has already shown the composure to handle senior football.
Last season, he finished with 24 goal involvements in 20 appearances, and producing anything close to those numbers would underline his credentials.
Having joined the club at the age of eight, he became the youngest player to represent Spurs in the competition at just 17, although his opportunities with the senior squad have since been limited to a handful of minutes.
Tottenham brought in two centre-backs over the summer while also losing three, leaving room for an opportunity should De Zerbi require additional cover in the heart of his defence. Byfield has already shown he is more than capable of stepping into the breach.
The 6ft 1in centre-back has also earned five England Under-18 caps and captained the side, while opening his international goalscoring account for the Three Lions last year. With senior experience already under his belt and international recognition to match, Byfield looks well placed to push for more opportunities at Tottenham.
The 21-year-old winger was part of Tottenham’s Under-17 and Under-18 sides that won the Premier League Cup in 2022/23, before helping the Under-21s lift the Premier League 2 title the following season.
Yet to make his first-team debut, he was an unused substitute last November before heading to Bristol Rovers for the second half of the campaign, where he made a strong impression with six goals and two assists in 19 appearances for the Gas.
Akhamrich took another step up in the summer by joining League One outfit Leyton Orient and has continued that form under Richie Wellens, already doing enough for Wellens to think he could become the best player in League One; high praise indeed.
The winger, who can also operate at left-back, has already earned international recognition, making two appearances for the Morocco Under-23 side earlier this year.
Already proving a goalscoring threat for the O’s, Akhamrich could be in line for his long-awaited Tottenham debut at N17 at some point.
At Spurs since the age of eight, Donley progressed through the Under-18 and Under-21 ranks, making up to 95 appearances across the academy sides. The 21-year-old midfielder has made just three competitive first-team appearances since making his senior debut in 2023, but has gained valuable experience through loan spells at Leyton Orient, Stoke City and Oxford United before joining Luton Town this season.
At Leyton Orient he was dubbed ‘special’, while his Northern Ireland boss Michael O’Neill rates him as a huge prospect.
De Zerbi included Donley in the pre-season tour of Australia and New Zealand, handing him minutes to impress, and he has carried that momentum into the new campaign. The attacking midfielder has made a bright start at Luton, scoring once and providing an assist across his first three appearances.
He also has ten caps and two goals for Northern Ireland, playing a key role in their World Cup qualifying campaign, which ultimately ended in heartbreak.
With plenty of senior experience already under his belt, Donley will hope his latest loan spell can put him firmly in the frame for more first-team opportunities at Tottenham.
Haughton-Sinclair is something of an anomaly, coming off a remarkable season in which he recorded 90 combined goals and assists for Tottenham’s Under-15s. That form has carried into the current campaign, with the youngster already registering ten goals and six assists.
His performances have not gone unnoticed, earning his first England Under-16 call-up in August before he marked the occasion with a goal against Italy.
The 15-year-old was also invited to train with the first team in early September, giving De Zerbi the chance to see the English attacker up close.
A first-team debut may still be some way off given his age, but if Sinclair continues at this rate, an introduction at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium could be on the horizon over the next year or so.
Verdict
With Tottenham’s squad now packed with established options, breaking into that senior team will be no easy task. However, all five have shown enough to suggest they can push for opportunities when they arise, with some already closer to De Zerbi’s plans than others. The next 12 months could be decisive in determining which of them makes the step up.
