Tottenham Hotspur could see another academy product depart before the transfer window closes, with several League One clubs reportedly showing interest in a forward who recently scored in the pre-season.
It has been an incredible summer transfer window for Spurs, who have spent a club-record £382m on 8 signings so far, most recently confirming the arrival of Omar Marmoush on a season-long loan from Manchester City, which includes a £50m+£10m obligation to buy next summer.
With only a few days remaining before the September 1 deadline, that figure could rise further, with Tottenham still expected to complete another signing in the coming days.
One of the biggest reasons Spurs have been able to spend so heavily has been the money raised through player sales, with around £204.2m generated from 10 outgoings, leaving their net spend at just £177.8m.
Tottenham have indeed been ‘smart’ with their player sales, as CEO Vinai Venkatesham urged the club to be last year, and another player could now be on his way out after recently scoring under Roberto De Zerbi.
Tottenham’s Dane Scarlett attracting League One interest
According to Football Insider’s transfer correspondent Pete O’Rourke, Dane Scarlett is on the radar of several League One clubs, with Reading, Huddersfield Town, Notts County, Leyton Orient, Burton Albion and AFC Wimbledon all looking to strengthen their attacking options.
The 22-year-old Tottenham academy graduate has spent much of the last four seasons developing away from North London, with loan spells at Portsmouth, Ipswich Town, Oxford United and Hibernian, while also making occasional appearances for the senior side.
Scarlett scored his first and only senior Tottenham goal during the club’s Europa League campaign in 2024/25, finding the net against Elfsborg. He also scored as recently as last month, when he found the net against Auckland FC in a pre-season friendly.
However, with Tottenham now possessing significant depth at centre-forward following the arrival of Omar Marmoush, alongside Dominic Solanke and Richarlison, regular opportunities could be difficult to find.
Spurs fans will therefore hope any departure is only temporary. Scarlett remains a highly rated academy product and was previously described as ‘phenomenal’ by former Tottenham boss and current Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho, who spoke particularly highly of the youngster.
Dane Scarlett could still have a route into the Tottenham squad
A departure would make sense given De Zerbi has made it clear he does not want to work with an unnecessarily large squad, ideally preferring two players per position. However, the striker position could prove to be an exception.
Alasdair Gold revealed last month that De Zerbi may have preferred to keep Will Lankshear as a third-choice striker before the youngster departed, suggesting the head coach could want three options at centre-forward.
That could yet give Scarlett a route into the squad, particularly with Richarlison’s future still uncertain. The Brazilian has attracted interest from several clubs, including Everton, as well as from Italy, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia.
If Richarlison leaves, Tottenham’s options would be reduced to Marmoush and Solanke, while the latter has already had several injury concerns since joining Spurs.
De Zerbi therefore cannot realistically rely on just one senior striker alongside Marmoush for an entire season, so Scarlett could yet have a chance to remain at Hotspur Way.
His future, much like Richarlison’s, should become clearer over the coming days.