Tottenham will offer Kion Etete a new deal in the summer before loaning him out to a Championship club next season, according to Spurs insider John Wenham.
The Lowdown: Etete’s loan spells
The 20-year-old joined the Lilywhites in 2019 after signing from his boyhood club Notts County, transitioning from the under-18s to the under-23s the following year.
This season, Spurs decided to loan out the centre-forward, sending him to League Two outfit Northampton Town for the first half of the campaign, where he netted six goals in 23 appearances.
After being recalled by his parent club over the winter, Etete now lines out for League One side Cheltenham Town.
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The Latest: Wenham’s claim
Wenham has insisted that any calls for Etete to be involved with the Tottenham first team are premature. He claims that Spurs will offer the youngster – who is out of contract in June 2023 – a new deal before then sending him on loan to a Championship club later this year.
Speaking with Football Insider, the N17 insider said of the 20-year-old: “He’s really settled in and it looks like he has found some form.
“There have been some fans who are now talking about his potential involvement with Tottenham next season. That is really premature for me. He has made great progress this season. He established himself in League Two and he’s now made the jump to League One.
“I think the plan now will be to give him a new contract in the summer then find a Championship side for him to join.
“He can continue his development in the Championship. I think anything else is way too soon.”
The Verdict: Would be wasted
Wenham is right – any calls for Etete’s involvement with the first team are premature for a number of reasons.
Firstly, he would have a serious lack of game-time at Spurs. Harry Kane is rarely rotated out of Antonio Conte’s starting XI, so apart from the early rounds of cup competitions, the 20-year-old would probably only get a few minutes here and there, rather than regular first-team football elsewhere.
This is exacerbated by Dane Scarlett’s rise at the club, with Conte claiming that he is “the best prospect from the academy”, so if any youngster is going to get senior minutes under the Italian, it is probably him.
Furthermore, Etete has only played eight times in League One, so the transition to Championship football would likely be much easier for him than the huge leap to the Premier League.
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