Tottenham Hotspur continued their tradition of banking on youngsters as they extended the contract of youngster Anton Walkes.
The club announced on its official Twitter account that the 20-year-old Walkes has penned a new deal with the club. The youngster is currently on loan with MLS side Atlanta and has agreed to a two-year deal with the Lilywhites. It was in January that the youngster made the unusual move of joining an MLS side. We are used to seeing players joining fellow Premier League teams or other European sides on loan.
However, Walkes’ move to go to America gave him the right results as the young defender has benefited from playing regularly. Walkes, who can play at centre-back or and right-back, has been playing on the right-hand side of the defence for Atlanta.
However, is this a move to increase the business value of the player? Spurs already are well stocked in the right-back position where Walkes has been playing for Atlanta. After selling Kyle Walker to Manchester City in the summer transfer window, Tottenham strengthened the reserves by signing Serge Aurier from Paris Saint-Germain.
The Ivory Coast right-back is currently competing with Kieran Trippier and Kyle Walker-Peters, which indicate that the club has enough options at the right-back position.
Even in the centre-back position, Mauricio Pochettino has signed Davinson Sanchez and Juan Foyth in the summer, extending the options available to him. There is also a talk within the White Hart Lane that youngster Cameron Carter-Vickers could be given a chance in the first team.
All this means that Walkes’ path to the first team would be hugely difficult. Atlanta rate the youngster very highly and are believed to be open to making an approach to sign him on a permanent deal. With this contract extension, it is being assumed that Spurs have moved into a position to demand a bigger transfer fee than what they could have previously expected.
Is that game over for Walkes, then? Not exactly, because if the 20-year-old can keep performing well for Atlanta, he may get a chance to come back and impress for Spurs. However, the chances are low.
