Tottenham Hotspur may be sweating over the future of Alfie Devine after the attacking midfielder enjoyed a breakout season on loan at Preston North End.
This season was billed as a make-or-break one for Devine’s future at Tottenham, and the 21-year-old has certainly silenced his critics, showcasing why many at Hotspur Way rate him so highly.
The Spurs academy graduate made the number 10 spot at Preston his own, registering 14 goal contributions in the Championship.
Devine has already been scouted by some big clubs ahead of the summer, and Tottenham have now received an update which may make them nervous.
Preston North End expected to exercise option to purchase Alfie Devine from Tottenham
Preston have a £4.5m option to buy the Tottenham youngster permanently this summer, but it had been suggested that they do not have the financial means to activate the clause.
However, journalist Alan Nixon has revealed on his Patreon that the Championship club have now changed their mind.
He claims that Preston are now hoping to activate the purchase option for Devine, which would make the 21-year-old their club record signing.
It is revealed that Paul Heckingbottom’s side want to agree on a payment plan with Tottenham that allows them to spread the fee across three or four years.
Alasdair Gold suggests Spurs may regret adding Devine purchase option
This update comes just over a week after Alasdair Gold suggested that Tottenham may come to regret handing Preston an option to buy the attacking midfielder.
The journalist opined that Devine could be worth three times the clause, which is why it would be a no-brainer for the Championship club to activate it.
Gold said on his YouTube channel on May 9: “Preston have got an option to buy him, thought to be around 4.5 million, which a lot of people are saying is quite steep. Look, if I’m Preston, I don’t want Devine to go because I do genuinely think he’s got so much talent.
“I’d love Roberto De Zerbi to have a look at him before he makes any decision. If I’m Preston, I’m probably thinking, can we stretch to £4.5 million, because he’s instantly probably worth more than that? It’s quite low for him. I think he will go for triple that.”