An industry source has made an interesting claim about Tottenham wonderkid Luca Williams-Barnett and how things would have been different for the teenager had he been in Arsenal’s academy.
Williams-Barnett became the youngest Tottenham player to play in the Carabao Cup when he came on for his debut in the club’s 3-0 win over Doncaster Rovers in September.
It was just a reward for the attacking midfielder on the back of his outstanding performances in youth football over the last 18 months.
The 17-year-old has scored six goals and provided four assists in just seven appearances in Premier League 2 this season, and looks set to follow in Mikey Moore’s footsteps.
Luca Williams-Barnett should have played more than he has
Williams-Barnett signed his first professional contract at Spurs back in October, and there is plenty of excitement about the youngster at Hotspur Way.
This is backed up by The Telegraph, who say that the youngster has been likened to Spurs legends like Paul Gascoigne and Glenn Hoddle, given his creativity and quality on the ball.
Interestingly, the outlet spoke to an unnamed industry source, who suggested that Williams-Barnett would have already received more first-team opportunities if he were at Arsenal instead of Spurs.
The source is quoted as saying: “Everybody in football has heard about this kid or knows about him. If he were at Arsenal, he’d have probably already played seven or eight times by now. It will be interesting to see what Tottenham’s plan for him is.”
Could Williams-Barnett be the answer to Spurs’ creative woes?
Tottenham’s creative struggles continue this season, with Xavi Simons yet to showcase his best in a Spurs shirt.
The injuries to James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski have not helped Thomas Frank, and one wonders if the Dane has considered throwing Williams-Barnett into the team.
Tottenham’s injury problems last season forced Ange Postecoglou to turn to Mikey Moore, who proved a hit, and there is no reason why Williams-Barnett cannot have a similar impact this term.