According to German outlet Sportbuzzer (via HITC), Tottenham Hotspur have opened talks with VFL Wolfsburg for the signature of Germany under-20 international Anton Donkor. The highly-rated midfielder made an impressive grade in the UEFA Champions League youth competition and has been attracting interests from England since then.
Despite his good run of form, his current club have poured cold water on his future, claiming that he is unlikely to ever make a nod for the first team. Initially, Aston Villa were favourites to relieve him from the Wolfsburg nightmare as even his agent held discussions with the Midlands club for a potential move to Villa Park.
However, talks have collapsed and now it’s a two-way race between Everton and the north London club. As the Toffees’ boss Ronald Koeman sanctioned a loan move for Gerard Deulofeu to join AC Milan until the end of the second, he will be seeking attacking reinforcements to ensure squad depth remains on par. Donkor has the ability to play across the attacking trident or right behind the striker, which would be an advantage if there the side is struck with injuries or dip in form.
Meanwhile, Spurs too allowed their young forward Shayon Harrison to join League Two side Yeovil until the end of the campaign. Apart from the shortage in the striker slot, another lingering concern is Vincent Janssen’s daunting form and the fans are more than happy to see a new face to fight for the deputy role.
It’s quite debatable that keeping Harrison could have been a better option but Donkor is far from a finished article. With proper guidance, the left-footed forward can easily make Wolfsburg regret their decision of underutilising him.
At such tender age, being linked with two high-profile Premier League clubs might sound like delving with a head-start but it’s a whole new challenge. It’s a period of make or break. Young players often yearn to hit the ground running but the immense pressure to perform in a bigger podium completely eclipses their potential which results in series of loan stints. While those who shrug off this mental barrier and perform brilliantly, have turned out to be real assets for any club.
Both Everton and Tottenham do have a penchant for bringing in youngsters and moulding them into future stars. Apart from the astute intention, it all depends on the valuation that Wolfsburg would stamp on Donkor. Despite predominantly being considered as a bench warmer, the German outlet will be keen to reap up a good profit as the current market has inflated the demand of young stars, especially ones linked with European giants.