Tom Carroll has become a forgotten man at White Hart Lane after dropping down the pecking order quite rapidly since the start of the new season. One of the several youngsters to make their way from the Tottenham youth academy, the club had high hopes for the player after a brilliant 2015-16 season in which he made 27 appearances across all competitions.
Just when it seemed that he would step up and progress to the next level, Carroll has been hit hard in terms of total absence from the first team. He has had only one minute of league action after coming on as a late substitute early on in the campaign.
His two other appearances were in the EFL Cup. After having seen Spurs knockout of this competition, it looks highly unlikely that he may play for the club this season. Recent reports from HITC Sport, via Sun, suggested that Tottenham would be ready to sell the player in January.
His exit, though, seems to have been accelerated by the signings of Victor Wanyama and the form of Mousa Dembele. The two defensive midfielders, however, may not be the real reason and it is the emergence of Harry Winks which has made Carroll look rather average.
The 20-year-old has not featured much in the previous seasons, but he has already racked up four appearances this campaign. He was arguably one of the best players on the pitch for Spurs in their 5-1 mauling at the hands of Liverpool in the EFL Cup. Even though he is yet to make an impact in the Premier League squad, Winks has already made his Champions League debut. His impressive 91.4% pass accuracy in the Champions League calls for attention, but he has only started games in the EFL Cup.
The emergence of Winks would be the real reason behind Carroll’s potential exit in an accelerated manner from the club. Spurs have always held the 20-year-old in high regard but then would have expected his seamless integration into the first team. Unlike some of the other youngsters, Winks knows Tottenham through and through. He has come through various youth ranks at the club while also representing the various youth teams for the England national team. He is currently part of the England under 20 set-up since making his debut in 2015.
If Winks manages to continue his progress at the same pace, Carroll may very well depart the club in January. He is valued at around €5 million, but Spurs may be forced to accept a lower price for the youngster in exchange for performance-related bonuses. Carroll is contracted with Tottenham only until the summer of 2019, while Winks’ contract runs until the summer of 2021.
