Tottenham Hotspur are embracing a real youth movement right now but are set to lose a promising talent to Manchester City.
Tottenham Hotspur have completed a major signing this week with Archie Gray arriving from Leeds United.
The 18-year-old has penned a six-year deal with Tottenham, completing a £40million move from Elland Road to North London.
Gray is being backed for an enormous future and continues Tottenham’s push to bring in top young talents for the future.
Just look over the last year; Brennan Johnson, Ashley Phillips, Luka Vuskovic, Lucas Bergvall, Radu Dragusin… the list of talented young signings at Tottenham just goes on and on.
Gray adds to that approach but it isn’t all good news in terms of Tottenham’s push to develop young prospects.
Han Willhoft-King leaving Tottenham Hotspur for Manchester City
Tottenham announced in June that Han Willhoft-King would be leaving the academy this summer.
That felt like a blow at the time; Willhoft-King was named in The Guardian’s Next Generation list in 2022 and club insiders backed him to really shine for Tottenham’s Under-18’s.
The midfielder turned out 35 times in the Under-18 Premier League last season, recording four goals.
One of those goals was an injury-time winner against Arsenal in May, with Willhoft-King coming up with a big moment in his penultimate game for the club.
Sadly, 18-year-old Willhoft-King has decided to move on – and his next club is now becoming clear.
Fabrizio Romano reports that Manchester City have now agreed a deal to sign Willhoft-King for their Under-19 squad.
Romano claims that a medical is imminent with Willhoft-King ready to complete his move to the Etihad Stadium.
This will sting for Tottenham, who will have at least been hoping that Willhoft-King would head abroad rather than joining a Premier League rival.
Breaking through at City isn’t easy for anybody but Willhoft-King will now back himself to become a first-team star in Manchester.
An England Under-16 international, Willhoft-King remarkably also qualifies for China, Chinese Taipei, Germany, India and the United States.
Willhoft-King was even approached about representing Indonesia in 2023, but a lack of Indonesian passport meant the potential switch fell apart.
The teenager has big decisions to make over his international future going forward, but a firm decision on his club future appears to have been settled.
