Reports: Tottenham’s Marcus Edwards set for permanent move to Udinese

Marcus Edwards was hyped up quite a bit as a youngster at Tottenham Hotspur, but the hype has faded away in recent years.

Edwards, who is still just 20-years-old, has yet to really break into Mauricio Pochettino’s senior squad. He has gone on loans before, but now he looks set for a permanent move away.

According to reports out of Italy, Edwards is abroad finalizing a transfer to Serie A side Udinese.

Edwards spent 2018/19 on loan at Excelsior in the Eredivisie. Excelsior were relegated via the playoffs at the end of the year, but Edwards had some success during the loan after he had settled in to his new surroundings. He managed two goals and four assists in 25 appearances with the Dutch club.

To date, Edwards’ only senior appearance for Tottenham came in the EFL Cup against Gillingham back in September of 2016. The youngster impressed with his dribbling ability during the match, but he then suffered an ankle injury and was sidelined for much of the rest of the year.

Before his debut against Gillingham, Pochettino compared Edwards to Lionel Messi, because of his ability to get past a defender with the dribble. The Argentine manager later claimed that he regretted making that comparison, with the insinuation being that it may have gone to the young player’s head.

In 2018, Edwards embarked on an unsuccessful loan to Norwich City. He only made one appearance during his time with the Canaries.

It’s hard for any young player to adapt to going out on loan, but it seems Edwards especially had some trouble adapting to new surrounds. A permanent move to a stable situation would be good for him, if that’s what this transfer to Serie A really brings.

The talent is undeniably there, it’s just unclear whether Edwards will ever be in the right situation and frame of mind to show it consistently on the pitch at the highest levels.