Tottenham correspondent Alasdair Gold has made a claim regarding young forward Dane Scarlett.
The Lowdown: Conte a fan
Scarlett has progressed through the youth system in north London, scoring 27 goals for the U18s and U23s and has now established himself in the senior squad.
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He made his Premier League debut from the bench in last month’s 4-0 win over Leeds United and has missed just two Premier League matchday squads since New Year’s Day.
Conte was full of praise for the youngster following the win over West Ham prior to the international break, believing Scarlett has a ‘brilliant future’ in the game.
The Latest: Gold’s comments
Gold ran a Q&A on football.london on Thursday lunchtime and was asked by one Spurs supporter about the possibility of Scarlett getting a real shot under Conte next season.
He expects Scarlett to remain in north London next season and added that a full pre-season under the Italian would ‘be a big deal’.
“I think they'll make a decision over Dane Scarlett's next steps in the summer but, at this point, I'd expect them to keep him at the club next season to continue to learn and get more chances to play. That Conte spoke about him, unprompted, on Sunday was a great sign and suggests he's making big strides behind the scenes.
“A pre-season with Conte would be a big deal for the teenager and could really help him continue to develop. Spurs will likely bring in another striker during the transfer window and that would see the three strikers used for all the competitions and perhaps the club look at a loan for Dane in January if post-Christmas he's going to get less game time.
“Who knows, he might just have made a big splash by that point if he continues to move towards that "brilliant future" Conte says he has ahead.”
The Verdict: Good news
Scarlett has made the most of Spurs failing to sign an out and out centre-forward to rival Harry Kane, catching Conte’s eye in recent months.
As Gold mentions, a loan at the beginning of 2023 could be a smart idea for the 18-year-old, providing the club add to their attacking ranks in the summer.
It appears as if Tottenham have high hopes for the teenager, so you’d expect a new contract could be in the pipeline as well, with his current deal set to expire in just over 12 months’ time.
In other news: Sky Sports man now reveals big Tottenham injury update before Newcastle.