Alasdair Gold believes that one Tottenham youngster could be worth far more than his current option to buy after impressing during his latest loan spell.
Tottenham sent 18 players out on loan this season, and many of them have impressed away from North London. Several academy graduates in particular have enjoyed strong campaigns, leaving Spurs with important decisions to make this summer.
Mikey Moore, Will Lankshear and Ashley Phillips are among the youngsters who have enhanced their reputations over the course of the season, but Alfie Devine may have enjoyed the most productive spell of them all.
The 21-year-old midfielder spent the campaign at Preston North End, marking his fourth loan move away from Tottenham. Devine registered 15 goal contributions during the season, including eight goals in 36 starts, establishing himself as one of Preston’s key players.
Unsurprisingly, the Championship side are keen to keep him, and the option to buy included in the agreement has become a major talking point.
Alasdair Gold thinks Tottenham’s Alfie Devine could be worth ‘triple’ his option
Speaking on his YouTube channel (31:00), Alasdair Gold confirmed that Preston North End hold an option to buy Alfie Devine permanently this summer for around £4.5 million.
Gold admitted that while some may see the figure as steep from Preston’s perspective, he personally believes it represents a bargain for a player of Devine’s talent.
“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,” Gold said.
“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.”
What Preston North End are thinking about Alfie Devine deal
Although £4.5 million may seem like a low fee to many, it would still represent a significant investment for a Championship club like Preston North End, whose current transfer record stands at around £2 million, which puts the scale of the deal into perspective.
Even so, one would struggle to understand why the club would agree to such a modest option for a player who could still contribute to the first team in the future. Aside from his talent, Devine would also help Spurs meet homegrown requirements for European competitions.
Preston boss Paul Heckingbottom has already made it clear that Preston would do everything possible to try and sign Devine permanently following his impressive campaign.
That will naturally concern Spurs supporters, especially with reports suggesting Devine is also attracting interest from other clubs in England and abroad.