Tottenham manager, Ange Postecoglou, has been quizzed on the future of young midfielder, Alfie Devine, after the 20-year-old’s impressive pre-season displays.
Devine shone at Plymouth and Port Vale last season
Alfie Devine made headlines at just fifteen when he made a £300,000 scholarship switch from Wigan to Spurs, with then-manager, Jose Mourinho, inviting the teenager to join first-team training upon signing. (The Athletic)
The young midfielder continued to impress as he progressed through the Spurs academy, becoming the club’s youngest-ever goal scorer at just sixteen after scoring against Marine in the FA Cup. (BBC Sport)
It wasn’t until last year however that Devine was allowed out on loan. The academy star shone so brightly with Port Vale that he was fast-tracked to the Championship in January, helping strugglers Plymouth Argyle escape the drop. (TransferMarkt)
Postecoglou answers question over Alfie Devine’s future
Ange Postecoglou has been speaking about Alfie Devine’s immediate future at Spurs, as well as Jamie Donley and Will Lankshear. It seems he wants to take a closer look at them before deciding their future for the 2024/25 season.
He said: “We’ll have a look at it really closely. I agree, Alfie has had a really good pre-season and again compare it to last year and he’s definitely developed. Part of that is probably because he played senior football last year on loan.
“A lot of them will be judged with what outs we have between now and the start of the season. I wouldn’t want to keep him with us unless I really felt he can get some significant game time because I don’t want to startle his development because he is a player that can make an impact here at Spurs.
“Fair to say him and the other younger guys, Jamie Donley, Will Lankshear have made an impression both in the way they have trained and the way they have played games. We’ll have a close look at what the next steps are”. (Football.London)
Spurs Web opinion
The pathway for Alfie Devine is somewhat blocked at the moment, unless as Postecoglou stated, there are outgoings that change things. One potential exit is Giovanni Lo Celso, whose departure could allow Devine to rise in the pecking order.
Even then, Devine would still be a back-up option at best for Postecoglou. Another loan move, perhaps to a promotion-chasing Championship side, could be the best move for the 20-year-old’s development.