Cartilage Free Captain

If you were hoping for a quick resolution to Tottenham Hotspur’s now vacant head coaching position, well you’re about to be even more disappointed. According to David Ornstein in The Athletic, Spurs will make their decision and announce who will take over as head coach from Ange Postecoglou next week, and that no decision has yet been made.

That said, to absolutely no one’s surprise, Brentford manager Thomas Frank is the leading contender.

What’s surprising here isn’t that Frank is currently leading the pile — he is by all accounts a good manager who has had Brentford overachieving since he got them promoted from the Championship a few years back. What’s surprising is that Tottenham have had two weeks from the end of the season and apparently haven’t gotten their ducks lined up in a row. Spurs fans will now have to wait until next week, at some point, to find out who will lead the team.

Tottenham Hotspur have fired their head coach Ange Postecoglou. The news was first leaked by Matt Law of the Daily Telegraph, and was confirmed by Sami Mockbel of the BBC. The club has yet to confirm the sacking, but it will no doubt come momentarily.

Postecoglou’s future was very much in danger and has been for months. He led Tottenham to their worst finish in the table in their Premier League history, but also won the Europa League, delivering the club’s first trophy since 2009 and first European title since 1984.

Postecoglou has been on holiday, along with the playing squad, since the conclusion of the Premier League season. Spurs chairman Daniel Levy has been conspicuously quiet over the past two weeks, with briefings in the English press suggesting that the club had yet to make a decision as to whether Ange would earn another year to turn things around. That decision has apparently been made.

While the decision to fire the manager who delivered the club’s first trophy in nearly two decades is brave, the timing of the announcement has been actively damaging, however, with the transfer window now open and the club somewhat paralyzed over the speculation of their manager. Whether you agree with the

It was not yet revealed who, if anyone, the club has appointed as their next head coach. Previous speculation linked managers such as Brentford’s Thomas Frank, Bournemouth’s Andoni Iraola, former Inter Milan manager Simone Inzaghi (now at al-Hilal), and Fulham’s Marco Silva.

Much more to come.

UPDATE: The club has now confirmed Ange’s departure.

Here is an excerpt from the club’s OFFICIAL COMMUNCIATION:

We are extremely grateful to Ange for his commitment and contribution during his two years at the Club. Ange will always be remembered as only the third manager in our history to deliver a European trophy, alongside legendary figures Bill Nicholson and Keith Burkinshaw.

However, the Board has unanimously concluded that it is in the best interests of the Club for a change to take place. Following a positive start in the 2023/24 Premier League (PL) season, we recorded 78 points from the last 66 PL games. This culminated in our worst-ever PL finish last season. At times there were extenuating circumstances - injuries and then a decision to prioritise our European campaign. Whilst winning the Europa League this season ranks as one of the Club’s greatest moments, we cannot base our decision on emotions aligned to this triumph.

It is crucial that we are able to compete on multiple fronts and believe a change of approach will give us the strongest chance for the coming season and beyond. This has been one of the toughest decisions we have had to make and is not a decision that we have taken lightly, nor one we have rushed to conclude. We have made what we believe is the right decision to give us the best chance of success going forward, not the easy decision.

We have a talented, young squad and Ange has given us a great platform to build upon. We should like to express our gratitude to him. We wish him well for the future - he will always be welcome back at our home.

Postecoglou has also released a statement through his agency, CAA Base:

Tottenham Hotspur F***, Marry, Kill continues, as we determine who should stay, who should go, and who needs work - because God knows the Spurs front office need some help.

Next up as we work our way up the pitch is probably our shortest article thus far: the fullbacks. For each, we’ll give you our thoughts as to why they should stay (Keep), head out on loan (Loan), or go (Sell - either via an actual sale, or conclusion of their contract); though there may also be a bacon sandwich that pops up here and there also.

Editor’s note: this series and a couple of the pieces in it were nearly completed at time of writing, so we will still cover players whose future has already been confirmed (i.e. released players)

Pedro Porro - Keep

A key part of Spurs’ successful Europa League campaign, Pedro Porro could be a candidate for a “sell high and reinvest” plan; however, Spurs have a significant dearth of technical ability and (especially) passing quality in their squad. Porro offers these in spades, so at this point, selling him would be very much cutting off your nose to spite your face. He offers so much going forward, and has continued to improve defensively (which has surprised me)... plus he seems to love it here.

Destiny Udogie - Keep

I will say, there have been a number of times this season I have been worried about Destiny. After a number of injury spells over the last couple of seasons, he looked extremely rough on his returns to the side - following both his return from surgery in the offseason and his midseason layoff. That said, he really rounded into form when it counted, and if he can stay fit, I think he will be around the club for a while yet.

Sergio Reguilon - Sell (Release) - confirmed

Sergio Reguilon should really have played more this season... but he was never going to work out under Ange Postecoglou. A cursory reading of the situation may have thought attacking system plus attacking player = profit; but so much of Spurs’ buildup is through the fullbacks, and Reggie is (let’s be honest) a pretty terrible passer of the football. Any chances he had for semi-regular appearances were probably torpedoed by his appearance against Wolves, where in 40 minutes he misplaced a third of his passes, and he’s always had problems with fitness. One that just didn’t work out (and I had high hopes).

Djed Spence - Keep

If there wasn’t so much work to do on other areas of the squad (and a lack of depth at fullback) I would consider selling Djed Spence. He carries an English premium, is just hitting his peak years, and some bright showings late in the season may have increased his value. Hell, the club may still consider it with the right offer. Right now, though, the team has other priorities, and Djed’s versatility (weirdly, he seems to be better on the left) is a plus. Hopefully he can get back to some of the form he showed a couple months ago, and perhaps Spurs can then look for a decent sale.

Archie Gray - Keep

I have listed Archie among the fullbacks, because 1) he is absolutely not a center back; 2) I think the way the construction of the squad is going, he could see the majority of his minutes at fullback next season (which is also largely where he played at Leeds); and 3) I already have something like 10 players to cover in my midfield piece. What are you gonna do?

A polarizing player, he stepped into breach admirably for Spurs in the midst of an injury crisis; and while he did more than anybody could have reasonably expected, he did struggle at the top level. Though he has time, I don’t think he is quite at the level Spurs require... YET; especially considering his desire to play in midfield. Even though that is arguably the weakest area of Spurs’ squad, throwing him in there at this point in his development alongside some of the other options Spurs have there at present is only going to dent his confidence - though I did see some impressive signs in a couple of late cameos there towards the end of the season.

The reality is Spurs need four fullbacks, and though my thinking would be to buy a left-sided defender who can both back up Micky van de Ven AND cover fullback, it seems the club aren’t in alignment with that line of thought, with any transfer links so far seemingly with right-sided options. A rotational slot at fullback, with some coverage minutes at midfield seems to therefore be the best option for Archie, and will allow him to continue to develop his passing, defensive reading, and wand of a right foot in a lower pressure position. IF the club do decide to invest additionally at fullback, Archie could even head out on loan to a lower-level Premier League club (or potentially even the Championship), but I think that is unlikely.

And that’s Spurs’ fullbacks in a nutshell. It’s an area lacking depth, and though I have some concerns around Spurs’ options at the position (and especially the lack of academy options coming through at the position) the reality is that other areas are in much higher need of attention: not least, the midfield. Come back Monday, where I’ll assess the options (or lack thereof) in the middle of the park.

Good morning, dear hoddlers, and welcome to another Track of the Day.

I know, I know - I spoil you!

Yesterday we had the privilege of listening to Haim’s fourth single for their upcoming album. Today we head to the Isle of Wight to check out what Wet Leg is up to.

As you’re well aware by now, Wet Leg are releasing a new album this summer. Moisturizer, out 11 July, will be the band’s sophomore album after they bursted onto the indie rock scene with their self-titled debut.

We already heard their first song on the new record: catch these fists.

Today we get to their second song: CPR.

As Hoddle Headquarters previously discussed, this looks like a very different Wet Leg. The band ditched their English countryside look for something far edgier

And the music backs it up, too. We again have an absolutely killer riff, with a synthesizer adding a lovely bit of texture to the chorus.

Lead singer Rhian Teasdale voice is far more sharp than it used to be. The lyric structure remains the same: nonsensical and a pleasure to listen to.

We’re two songs into Wet Leg’s second album, and it’s a very exciting start. And I think they’re producing some of the freshest music out there right now.

Wet Leg are also going on tour! Your hoddler-in-chief has already secured his tickets.

Fitzies track of the day: CPR, by Wet Leg

And now for your links:

Alasdair Gold: “Tottenham’s midfield transfer plans include major decision over £50m duo after Postecoglou decision”

The Guardian: “Lamine Yamal dazzles as Spain win goal-fest with France to set up Portugal final”

The Telegraph: “One of the great English football clubs is tearing itself apart”

ESPN: “World Cup 2026: Jordan, South Korea, Uzbekistan qualify”

It’s the first Thursday in June. Did you think there’d be news on the managerial front? Oh, you sweet summer child. And because Fabio Paratici hasn’t officially started, we’re still more or less encased in Johan Lange’s Black Box of Impenetrable Transfer News so even the transfer rumors are pretty sketch.

Because of that, I feel it’s warranted to dive deeper into the wilds of Bat Country and perhaps take a look at a source we might normally dismiss. In this case, it’s Inter Milan blog InterLive, which says Tottenham have a concrete interest in Inter’s 24-year-old German CB Yann Aurel Bisseck.

I’ll be honest here and say that Bisseck is a target that has been familiar with the members of Carty Free Towers’ Slack channel, to the point where a few people have been actively trying to manifest Tottenham’s interest in him for some time. Does a rumor in an Inter blog count as manifestation? Well, it’s a start, and we have no plans to stop at this point.

Bisseck, 24, has been sort of in and out of favor at the San Siro this past season. At 24, the German international is entering his prime years, and while he’s been pretty good when he’s played, Inter seem to be willing to entertain offers for him this summer. That may or may not be because of Simone Inzaghi heading out to get his bag in Saudi Arabia, but hey — we’ll take it.

Take a look at those green bars. Pretty, pretty good. Under Inzaghi, Inter mostly played with a back three, and Bisseck was often a right sided CB in that formation. He hasn’t played a ton in a back two, but he definitely has the tools to do so — he’s a cat-style defender who anticipates passing lanes and can string a good forward pass himself. He’s got very good recovery speed so playing in a high defensive line shouldn’t be an issue. He also has some experience playing as a right back, which makes him somewhat positionally flexibile.

And that’s the key here. Because I know some of you are reading this and saying “Hey, we already have a backup right sided CB, it’s Kevin Danso” and you’re right. What we DON’T have (with apologies to Ben Davies and Radu Dragusin) is a solid left sided CB. Now, if Spurs were to sell Romero this summer, Bisseck would be a natural replacement. But even if we keep Romero, it’s worth taking a long look at him.

Consider: there are plenty of games to play next season, which means it won’t be difficult at all for Bisseck to get minutes. He will play lots at RCB no matter what, and could even play at LB beside Danso (or Danso at LB beside Bisseck) if needed. He could also be used as a backup right back, especially since Djed Spence weirdly looked more comfortable on the left this past season than on the right. Ange Postecoglou likes his positionally flexible players, and Bisseck gives you that. Yes, it makes us a little heavy at the RCB position, but buying a solid defender and a flex RB/RCB like Bisseck would still make a great deal of sense, especially if a solid LCB option doesn’t emerge in the transfer window.

Also — according to this admittedly not especially great sourcing, Inter would be willing to consider offers of €40m (£33.6m). Any move would take place after the Club World Cup, probably because he picked up a thigh injury in the Champions League final vs. PSG. Manchester United and West Ham are also both apparently interested.

For that price, you buy Bisseck as soon as he’s healthy and can pass a physical, and figure the rest out later. He’d probably need some time to bed in and adjust to the pace of the Premier League but that’s likely the case for just about everyone we’d buy from the continent. For this player and that price, I say go for it.

For those of you who don’t know by now, Haim are releasing a new album on June 20.

Hoddle Headqaurters has been keeping up with Haim’s activity since they released their first song for that album, titled I Quit.

So far we’ve covered three of their singles for the record:

Relationships

Everybody’s trying to figure me out

Down to be wrong

It’s becoming clearer and clearer that this is a breakup album, and lead singer Danielle Haim has got some thing she needs to say. The first song was your classic “relationships suck” sort of thing. The second follows some of that angstiness that follows a major life change, whilst the third is a bit more rebellious.

Today’s track of the day, Take me back, naturally is seeped in nostalgia. Danielle Haim’s lyrics are all about returning to their teenage days, being silly kids, having silly crushes and getting into all sorts of weightless adventures.

The band wrote, in part, on instagram: “this was a very nostalgic time for the 3 of us because we all found ourselves single for the first time since we were all in high school. ... we all just started exchanging crazy stories about our teenage years.”

So it seems we’re dealing with different stages of a breakup. This one is the least edgy of them all. Instead it features a nice acoustic guitar breezily carrying the lyrics, which aren’t the best collection of words put down on paper.

Only fifteen days until the new album comes out.

Fitzie’s track of the day: Take me back, by Haim

And now for your links:

Jay Harris ($$): “Spurs need to make a decision on Ange Postecoglou now, so they can plan for next season”

Sport Witness: “Incoming Tottenham man admits he can’t wait to arrive – Talks about his ultimate goal”

VoetbalPrimeur: “Gullit sees himself in the Dutch international: ‘He is fast, big, strong’”

BBC: “Rangers on verge of Martin appointment - what can fans expect?”

The Telegraph: “Crystal Palace mess highlights football’s multi-club ownership problem”

Welcome back to F***, Marry, Kill: Tottenham Hotspur squad deconstruction.

Today, I’m going to work through Spurs’ defensive foundations: the center backs. It’s been a huge area of concern this season, so we will take an in-depth look at... well, the depth as Spurs look to build to next season.

As said in my goalkeepers piece here, for each of these footballers, we’ll give you our thoughts as to why they should stay (Keep), head out on loan (Loan), or go (Sell - either via an actual sale, or conclusion of their contract); though there may also be a bacon sandwich that pops up here and there also. Spoiler alert: there will be one today!

Editor’s note: this series and a couple of the pieces in it were nearly completed at time of writing, so we will still cover players whose future has already been confirmed (i.e. released players)

Cristian Romero - Keep

Spurs may not have much of choice with this one if Cuti decides to force his way to the Iberian peninsula... but they should be doing everything in their power to keep the World Cup winner in London. Though he had some struggles this season (and there are definitely some concerns around his fitness), the reality is not only is Spurs’ defense worse without him, but their attack is also much worse, such is his quality on the ball. It’s a key part of his game that often goes unnoticed but would be incredibly difficult to replace.

One person in the masthead chat suggested an enticing deal to keep him a bit longer (with his contract up now in 2 years, so getting to the spicy end): a one-year extension with a little pay bump, but incorporating a release clause of around £50 million if Spurs miss out on Champions League. Not the worst idea.

Micky van de Ven - Keep

Do I really need to write a paragraph on why Spurs should keep the fastest player in the Premier League? And that’s without even looking at the stats with and without Micky.

Kevin Danso - Keep - confirmed*

*Unless Spurs decide to do some weird financial jiggery pokery and sell him for a profit

A really solid all-round defender, and an example of some very smart January business by the club. He was huge when he came on in the Europa League final, and while not quite having the pace of Micky or ball skills of Cuti, he offers a calm presence, is assured in possession, and is an excellent backup who will push the two starters to keep their standards high.

Radu Dragusin - Sell

Radu is still young. He’s also just utterly lacking the skills to play modern, attacking football. It’s really a scouting failure at its core, and the question is whether he will have recovered from his ACL injury enough to test the market. Though he has some good defensive skills, he’s just not a fit, and I think I’m ready to move on.

Ben Davies - Bacon Sandwich

The longest-tenured member of this iteration of Spurs. He has been a faithful servant to the club, and largely dependable when called upon; but his ageing really began to show this season and he can no longer be trusted as the chief backup at either fullback or left-sided center back. His contract is also up, with the club holding an option for an extra year (but not publicizing any execution of said clause).

In this scenario, as thanks for his service, I’m actually happy to see whatever scenario works best for Ben, as I mentioned in my season-ending departures piece: Davies to test the market as a free agent, and if he can’t find himself a deal that works for him have the club hand him an extra year to act as break-glass-in-case-of-emergency depth and work on his training badges.

Ashley Phillips - Loan

I very nearly wrote Sell on this one, but last minute I refrained after reviewing both Phillips’ age and his contract situation. What I have seen from Phillips (and the smoke from the Spurs beat reporters) is that Phillips is a pretty athletically gifted defender (you have to be starting in the Championship at 19) who is extremely limited technically on the ball. Basically, he’s Radu 2.0, and as such he probably doesn’t have much of a future at a club of Spurs’ stature (plus he’s never going to qualify as club-trained as he came to the club too old).

He’s a full 3-and-a-bit years younger than Radu, though, and he has three years left on his contract - so if Spurs want to extract maximum value, they might want to give him another season out at a club who doesn’t play struggleball (aka not Stoke City) and potentially see if there is something there. The other option is the club keep him as emergency cover if Davies heads away, but I think that’s unlikely as it’s only going to hinder Phillips’ development.

Alfie Dorrington - Loan

Arguably the more talented of Spurs’ academy center back graduates, Alfie #2 (c’mon guys, Devine is the OG) has seen his development hampered by injury, missing a huge amount of the 23/24 season, and the beginning of the 24/25 campaign following surgery on his hamstring. He finally got back onto the pitch for the U21’s in late September, before heading on loan to Aberdeen in the Scottish league where he worked his way into a starting berth. Alfie #2 really just needs minutes at this point, so a loan is a no-brainer.

Luka Vuskovic - Loan

It’s possible the Croatian defender may be ready to contribute immediately at Spurs, but it’s unlikely. Signing for Spurs in late 2023 as one for the future, he spent 24/25 at Westerlo in the Belgian Pro League where he was their third top scorer... strange for a center back! That’s because Vuskovic is an absolute specimen, physically. The guy is a giant and just dominates opposition players - but he’s not slow either!

Spurs will get a look at him in preseason and then will likely send him out on loan. There are two schools of thought as to the approach here. He could head to the Championship, which is often a good proving ground for young players, but that thinking is usually accompanied by the need for youth to physically develop, not something Vuskovic needs; in which case, he could head to the continent to a more skilled team (as Westerlo were very much a “lump it forward” side). A loan in England, however, could help him acclimate to life in London.

That’s it for Spurs’ center backs. In some ways, a reasonably settled lineup, though a lot depends on the Cristian Romero transfer saga this summer. The obvious need is left-sided defensive cover, i.e. a backup for Micky van de Ven, ideally one who can also cover left back... but more on that in the next piece, where we look at the fullbacks.

A year ago, we at Carty Free Towers were wondering if Djed Spence would be sold. Today he is a Europa League champion and an important part of Tottenham Hotspur’s rotation. What a difference a year makes.

Spence, unwanted, unplayed, was coming off of a horrific season on loan last season, first to Leeds United where he suffered a knee injury and missed three months, and then at Genoa in Serie A. Genoa utilized him well and were interested in keeping him but were unable to afford his £8.5m option. Signed in 2022 from Middlesbrough for £20m, Spence looked like a promising young player, despite clashing with then-Boro head coach Neil Warnock. He was impressive enough on loan at Nottingham Forest the prior season to catch Tottenham’s eye as they looked for quality depth at fullback.

But Spence also had a reputation of being moody, difficult to work with, and at times petulant. It didn’t help that Antonio Conte never gave him a sniff, calling him a “club signing” in public, something Spence later said “shattered his confidence.” A lot of people wrote him off as another Marcus Edwards, a player with a poor attitude who would never make it at Spurs.

It took extraordinary circumstances for Spence to break through this season. He was used sparingly by Ange Postecoglou in the first part of the season, but proved himself to Ange in the first few months through his work rate, training, and determination, enough that he earned a contract extension in October.

Here’s what Ange said in the wake of Djed’s new deal:

“I said a couple of days ago and consistently say, most of a players future is in their own hands. They’re as much in control as anyone else. I think sometimes footballers forget that. With Djed, it could have been easy for to go out on loan again. But when he came into preseason, he was determined to make a career for himself here at Tottenham rather than wait to be loaned out.

“He did everything right in training, his attitude was great. He’s a good footballer, I think the way we play suits him and he’s knuckled down to that. And he’s earned himself a spot on the roster in our squad.”

Even so, Spence didn’t make his first Premier League start this season until mid-December, with Spurs in the throes of a massive injury crisis. He played well in the 5-0 win over Southampton and became a regular part of Tottenham’s rotation, both in the league and in the Europa League, after being left out of the squad in the first half of the season. Spence started 10 of Spurs’ last 11 league matches, frequently as a left back, and established himself not just as quality depth, but as a player who can potentially challenge Pedro Porro and Destiny Udogie for quality minutes.

Redemption stories don’t seem to happen often in football, and that’s why it’s been so much fun watching Djed’s arc this season. He was given a chance by Postecoglou, but he also redeemed himself through hard work and perseverance. He has what looks like a bright future at Tottenham ahead of him and got to celebrate lifting a Europa League trophy at the end of the season. You can see it in his face, in his attitude, and in his incredible swagger. This is a guy enjoying his football.

Who would’ve thought that last June?

Commentariat Choice: Lucas Bergvall

I have to say I’m a little surprised by this — the Commentariat has chosen and has chosen Lucas Bergvall, who also nabbed the Young Player of the Season award. Not that Lucas hasn’t improved — he has, remarkably, and thanks to that same injury crisis that gave Spence his big chance. Lucas will be an important part of Tottenham’s squad next season and has every chance of nailing down a starting role, which is impressive considering he was playing in the Swedish league a year ago.

But at least for me, Bergvall’s “breakout” doesn’t have quite the same impact as Spence. Bergvall came in as a highly-touted, if young and inexperienced, attacking midfielder. I wonder if there’s a bit of recency bias happening here — Lucas didn’t start to really kick on until near the end of the season in the Europa League and just before his unfortunate foot injury. He may have come closer to realizing his potential faster than we expected, but it didn’t feel as much of a surprise. But whatever.

Spence came in an easy second place according to Carty Free readers, with Archie Gray a distant third.

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Tottenham Hotspur Daily Links: The Hoddle Of Coffee

The Hoddle of Coffee: Tottenham Hotspur News and Links for Wednesday, June 4

Recapping fitzie’s EFL Championship predictions

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Every year I like to review my EFL Championship predictions. It keeps me humble, because you know the league never shakes out like you’d expect it to.

This season was no exception. While I got a couple things right, I got a lot wrong. You can check out my predictions from August here.

What went right:

Leeds United: Your hoddler-in-chief correctly predicted Leeds United would return to the Premier League as EFL Championship title-holders. They picked up the second-highest points tally in the Championship in at least the past decade.

Burnley: For the second time I underestimated how Burnley would fare with a new manager in a new league, but I did pick them fourth. I take that as a win.

Sheffield Wednesday: I had a feeling this would be a big step up for Wednesday this season, especially with Dani Rohl in charge. I picked them 11th, they finished 12th. They’ll probably fight it out for the relegation spots next season, unfortunately.

What went wrong:

Relegation candidates: The three clubs I tipped for relegation (Blackburn, Derby and Watford) are all staying up. Instead it’s Cardiff, Argyle and Luton Town who will play in League One next season. Speaking of which ...

Luton Town: I picked them to finish second this season. They finished in the bottom three after holding onto Rob Edwards for far too long. A last-gasp attempt to claw themselves out of the bottom three failed.

West Bromwich Albion: I hedged my prediction for WBA to finish top six on keeping Carlos Cobreran. They didn’t. Albion finished ninth. But WBA will be heading into next season under the direction of Tottenham hero Ryan Mason. Surely they’ll got undefeated, right?

Middlesbrough: How often will I keep picking Boro to make the top six? That’s three years running now.

Sunderland: I thought this year would be a step back for Sunderland after coming so close in the 23-24 season. But, hey, they secured promotion even being one of the youngest clubs in the competition.

Fizie’s final thoughts:

As you can see, I got a lot more wrong than I did right this year. All credit goes to the unpredictable nature of the Championship. It is becoming clearer that there is a huge gap between recently promoted clubs and the rest (Luton Town being the exception).

Burnley went straight back up, Leeds United returned after falling short in the playoffs last year, while Sheffield United bottled it this year. I think we’ll see more recent PL dominance this year. And I’m looking forward to seeing how the transfer window and managerial searches conclude.

Fitzie’s track of the day (by request): Satisfaction, by Television

And now for your links:

Alasdair Gold: “Tottenham’s awkward silence threatens to derail crucial summer transfer push”

The Athletic ($$): “Tottenham Hotspur Transfer DealSheet: Summer window latest, key targets and likely exits”

BBC: “Norwich appoint Bristol City’s Manning as head coach”

The Guardian: “Lessons for Leeds, Burnley and Sunderland as they try to stay up”

Ready for another transfer rumor? You know I am. Here’s one out of my own country: according to New England Revolution blog The Blazing Musket, Tottenham Hotspur has apparently already had talks with the Revs over 17-year-old American striker Peyton Miller. This comes on the heels of previous reports from FOX Sports that suggested “at least one” English club was taking a look at him. One of those clubs is apparently Spurs.

I’m not a MLS Watcher™. I have precious little time in my life for more than one football club, and I’ve made my decision in that regard already. So I can’t really tell you much about Peyton Miller, but from what I can glean from people who track the league and the Revs a lot closer than I do, Miller is a talented teenage forward with some pretty big upsides to his game. We’re about midway through the MLS season, and thus far Miller has played 11 matches, ten of them starts, for about 815 minutes of action, in which he has 1G+3A. His FBRef profile looks pretty decent as well — he definitely has some skills and looks like he could be a player who could develop into a solid professional. Or maybe not, but he’s the kind of young player whom someone is going to take a punt on, so why not Spurs?

One main reason to consider bringing him in now is so that he can establish himself as a home- and association-grown player for Spurs. That would mean that even if he doesn’t turn out to be a Champions League-caliber starter down the road, he’d still have significant value to other English teams if Spurs eventually opt to cut bait. Miller is very much a buy-and-loan kind of player — I wouldn’t expect him to feature now or for the next couple of years.

I know the idea of buying another teenager with promise isn’t going to appeal to some segments of the fan base, especially when we clearly have so many holes to fill already in the squad. But the truth is, Tottenham should be taking chances on a couple of these kinds of guys every season. Some, or even most of them won’t work out, but unless they crash and burn Spurs should be able to at least turn a small profit over them in a few years. And if we’re lucky maybe we end up hitting the jackpot once in a while.

There’s nothing about price or how well the negotiations have gone. Who knows if this will happen or not. But this does feel like a plausible move, and if it happens I’d be all for it.