Tottenham Hotspur reportedly contemplate whether to loan out 18-year-old attacker Jamie Donley amid interest from Charlton Athletic and Leyton Orient.
Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly weighing up whether to send 18-year-old attacker Jamie Donley out on loan in the coming months.
The Northern Ireland-born marksman – who represents England at youth level – is regarded as one of the brightest prospects in the Spurs academy and has amassed a remarkable set of statistics in the 2023-24 season so far.
Representing the club’s Under-21s – whom he was promoted to last summer – Donley has already scored six goals and set up 11 more in 11 matches across the Premier League 2 and EFL Trophy, largely playing as a second striker.
Also being deployed as a number 10, central midfielder, centre-forward and winger, Donley has scored or assisted in all of his appearances for the Under-21s so far this season, helping the Spurs youth team make a perfect start to the 2023-24 Premier League 2 season with eight wins from eight matches.
Donley is yet to make his debut for the senior Tottenham team, but he has trained with Ange Postecoglou‘s team and has made the bench for Premier League clashes with Liverpool and Wolverhampton Wanderers.
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The 2005-born attacker has represented both Northern Ireland and England from Under-15 to Under-19 level, making his first two appearances for the Young Lions in October’s Euros qualifying draws with Wales and Austria.
Donley has been called up to the England Under-19s for this month’s fixtures with Romania, Mexico and Japan as well, and according to TEAMtalk, Tottenham are contemplating whether it is time to send the striker out on loan.
League One clubs Charlton Athletic and Leyton Orient could apparently offer the teenager a platform to earn regular first-team football, and Postecoglou has been impressed by what he has seen from Donley in first-team training.
The powers-that-be at Tottenham supposedly believe that Donley – who joined the club as an Under-8s player – could become a first-team star for the club in the coming years, but no decision on his future has been made just yet.
There is hope that Donley could follow a similar career path to Harry Kane, who left for Bayern Munich this summer after graduating from the club’s academy to become their all-time leading goalscorer, although Spurs have coped well in the absence of the England captain.
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Postecoglou amassed an all-time high 26 points from his first 10 games as a Premier League manager, alternating between Richarlison and Son Heung-min to spearhead the attack, while Alejo Veliz and Brennan Johnson are also at the Australian’s disposal.
However, Richarlison has now joined Tottenham’s growing injury list with a groin problem, which he recently underwent surgery on, and the Brazilian is expected to spend around a month recovering.
Ivan Perisic, Ryan Sessegnon, James Maddison and Manor Solomon‘s injuries have also depleted Spurs’ offensive options, and the Lilywhites are being tipped to bolster their attacking ranks in the January window.
Juventus winger Samuel Iling-Junior – once of Chelsea – is believed to be a mid-season target for Tottenham, who could also target a new defender in the wake of Micky van de Ven‘s severe thigh injury.
Spurs sit fourth in the table owing to back-to-back losses to Chelsea and Wolves and are back in action with the visit of Aston Villa – who are just one point and one place worse off – November 26.