:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/49794339/520456086.0.jpg)
Early June is the time of year when Premier League teams begin announcing which players will be retained and which players are cut. Tottenham released their list today via Twitter, announcing the departure of four youth players from the club.
The Club can confirm the departure of winger Emmanuel Sonupe following the conclusion of his contract. pic.twitter.com/3AoyNwi2Wx
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) June 7, 2016
Academy players Armani Daly, Charlie Hayford and Chris Paul have also been released. We wish all four players all the best for the future.
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) June 7, 2016
Of the four players noted, Emmanuel Sonupe is the most prominent, and even he probably isn't well known to most Spurs fans. Primarily a winger, all of Sonupe's minutes came in the U21 Premier League, where he was a regular starter. He scored one goal and had five assists this season for Tottenham U21.
The other three players were members of Tottenham's youth academy. Chris Paul is perhaps the most notable casualty of today's cuts, though he should probably feel content enough that he still has an all-star NBA career to fall back on.
Crashing out of a Premier League academy isn't the end of the world for these young players. Many of those released will go on to have successful careers in the lower leagues of English football or will move on to other leagues in the continent or elsewhere.
Notably, no senior team players were released today, which is good news if your name is Tom Carroll or Federico Fazio.