Gold: Tottenham’s Devine, Scarlett set for loan next season

Two of Tottenham Hotspur’s most promising young development squad players are likely going to be heading out on loan for the first time next season. According to Alasdair Gold in Football.London, the club will look to send striker Dane Scarlett and midfielder Alfie Devine for first team experience next season, likely either to the Championship or to League One.

Both Scarlett and Devine have yet to play first team football anywhere, so this would be a new experience. It would also be, hopefully, an important step in their development as footballers.

Scarlett is quite possibly the developmental striker with the most hype right now, and that list includes Troy Parrott. Scarlett first came to the attention of Spurs fans when he was praised by then-manager Jose Mourinho, and even got some first team minutes during Mou’s tenure. This season, he’s been playing most of his football with the U23s, which is pretty good considering he’s just 18, though he has yet to score at that level and has one assist. He does, however, have ten goals this season for England’s U19s.

Conte, however, recently praised Scarlett’s improvement, having watched him closely in first team training

“I’m seeing a lot of improvement today in Scarlett honestly if I have to tell you. Seeing that this guy is improving a lot, he’s only 17-years-old but I can tell you that he is a really important prospect for Tottenham.

“He has to be patient and work behind these very important players and continue to work in this way because about Scarlett, I can tell you that I see a brilliant future for him.”

Devine is a midfielder with an immense amount of promise and is considered a player who could potentially break into the first team within a few years. He’s excelled at U23 football this season at age 17, scoring 9 goals primarily as a central or attacking midfielder.

Gold notes that both players were purposefully kept around the Spurs development setup the past couple of seasons in order to get them used to first team training at Hotspur Way, but that Scarlett and Devine would benefit from regular first team football to continue their development next season. The Championship would be the preferred destination, but a League One club could be considered if it provides regular football and a good experience for the player.

After a few years during the Pochettino era where developmental players were purposefully kept at the club, Spurs have been much more willing recently to send youngsters out through the loan system. Loans for Scarlett and Devine imply not only that they’re ready for that next step, but also that the club still thinks that they could turn into very good footballers at some level. It’s obviously not a guarantee of future first team success, but it’s the best pathway they have towards fulfilling their potential.