Romaine Mundle has been promoted to Tottenham's first team squad but the club faces a race against time with his contract running out while Herbie James has signed from Manchester City.
Mundle, 19, has made a big impression on the first team coaches this season after making huge strides in 2023, with three goals and two assists in his past five matches for Spurs' U21s. The teenager's development was rewarded in January with a spot on the bench in the FA Cup tie against Portsmouth. He had been an unused substitute the previous season in the 1-0 Europa Conference League qualifying round defeat at Pacos de Ferreira under Nuno Espirito Santo.
Then Mundle, who turns 20 later this month and can play on either flank, received another big pat on the back as Antonio Conte promoted him fully to his first team squad in early March and handed him his first spot in a Premier League matchday squad with a place on the bench for the win against Nottingham Forest.
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The young wide man will be part of acting Tottenham head coach Cristian Stellini's options for the remainder of the season. He offers plenty of versatility for the Italian as although he is predominantly a left winger as a right-footer, he can only also play on the right and can operate as a wing-back.
He did so to great effect in Spurs' 3-2 victory at Marseille in the UEFA Youth League in November, scoring from the position. Mundle is right-footed but can use his left well, as shown when he cut inside from the right and curled an effort into the top corner with his left-foot in the opening 90 seconds of the match.
Mundle had also impressed in front of a watching Conte and Paratici in the home tie, grabbing an assist during an industrious display which was clearly noted by the first team staff.
The academy product's ability to play at wing-back could come in handy with Emerson Royal, Ben Davies and Ryan Sessegnon all currently out injured, leaving Pedro Porro and Ivan Perisic as Stellini's only fit defensive players on the flanks.
At the moment, the club can only look as far as this season because the teenager's contract comes to an end this summer, with Spurs holding no further option to extend it.
football.london understands there is interest in Mundle from other Premier League clubs while an ongoing conversation is taking place between Spurs and the player's camp as they look to offer him a fresh contract. It understood that the north London club see a long-term future for the winger, who has been at Spurs since he was just five-years-old.
The one problem Tottenham have faced in the past year has been a growing disconnect between the academy and the first team with many players not believing they were ever going to get a chance in Conte's first team. This season only 21-year-old Harvey White got four minutes from the bench in one Premier League match and 18-year-old Alfie Devine came on in added time in that FA Cup tie against Portsmouth.
With a number of contracts set to expire this summer among the players in the development squad, some of them may wonder whether a new manager coming in might restore the pathway to the first team.
There have been some new deals penned, not least by Jamie Donley with the highly-rated 18-year-old attacking signing a new three-and-a-half-year deal with the club last month, with an option for a further year.
There has also been a new arrival at the club in recent weeks with gifted 16-year-old Herbie James tempted away from Manchester City and making his debut for the club from the bench in the U18s' 4-0 win at Norwich on Saturday, although he was listed as a triallist on the official team sheet.
The teenager can play on either wing and football.london understands they saw off competition from Everton and Wolves to sign him on a free transfer.
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