Transfer News: Tottenham Hotspur battle Leeds United to sign Derby County starlet Malcolm Ebiowei
According to The Sun, Tottenham Hotspur are battling it out with Leeds United to sign Derby County starlet Malcolm Ebiowei in the summer transfer window. The sensation has done quite well for his side this season, having impressed despite the struggles his team have suffered both on and off the field.
Ebiowei, a former Arsenal player, joined Derby on a short term contract last summer, which will expire at the end of the next month. He is likely to depart after the expiration of the current deal, paving the way for Tottenham to try their chances to sign him. That being said, he would still command a fee, with the Gunners, Rangers and Derby all expected to earn compensation payments.
Spurs will have several obstacles to overcome if they hope to get their hands on the U16 England international. Apart from Leeds, they will also face competition from Fulham, Crystal Palace and RB Leipzig ahead of a potential summer transfer.
Who is Malcolm Ebiowei?
The 18-year-old, who is primarily a centre-forward, has been utilised in several positions this campaign, and he has impressed equally in those roles as well. He is highly versatile, with the ability to play on both wings and even as a right-sided midfielder.
The Rams ace was brought into the first-team set-up midseason by Wayne Rooney, and the youngster has not looked back since then. The former has scored eight goals and assisted thrice throughout this term from 28 matches across all competitions at the senior and youth level.
He could not save his team from relegation this campaign, and Derby, who were docked a total of 21 points this season, will play their football in League One next season. Talented youngsters like Ebiowei, who are making a name for themselves at this age, would certainly aim to go upwards rather than downwards in their careers.
The Championship wonderkid seems to be in line to take the next step in his career, although whether that will be Antonio Conte’s side or not remains to be seen. Even if we have to pay some compensation fees to the three clubs that helped in his development, the price would still be reasonable for a teenage sensation like him.
That being said, with several other clubs posing obstacles in our pathway, we need to be wary of their interests. Palace, Leeds and Leipzig, in particular, are known to bring up talents in their team and would undoubtedly cause major concerns to our chances.
More Tottenham Hotspur News
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- Tottenham Hotspur are keeping a close eye on West Ham United star Tomas Soucek
- Conte reveals what he told Tottenham Hotspur striker Son Heung-min before his stunner against Leicester City
While we could use a striker in our ranks at this moment, Ebiowei would probably not be the right man for the job. After all, it would be wise to let him ease into Premier League football, but, for that to happen, we need to secure his signature in the first place. Whether that will happen, though, remains to be seen.
