Tottenham Hotspur boss Jose Mourinho has rejected a loan offer from Barcelona for young star Ryan Sessegnon, with the versatile wideman to spend the upcoming campaign in North London, according to The Athletic.
The Spurs starlet was signed from Fulham last summer but had a somewhat frustrating first 12 months at the club, with injuries and a lack of opportunities hindering his development.
With speculation over his future at Tottenham, the latest report has suggested Barcelona were keen to sign Sessegnon on a loan deal, while a host of other European and Premier League sides have registered an interest.
However, it suggests Mourinho has made the decision to keep the England under-21 winger at Spurs for the 2020-21 campaign.
Opinion – why it’s the right decision.
Tottenham are certainly short of options at left-back following the summer departure of club hero Jan Vertonghen, with Ben Davies seemingly the first choice in the position.
However, Sessegnon will seemingly be in competition with Japhet Tanganga in a bid to displace the Welsh defender and the former Fulham man has all the qualities to be a star for Spurs.
Certainly, spending a season out on loan away from Tottenham and receiving regular first-team football could aid his development – but how many chances in the first team was he likely to get at Barcelona?
As long as Mourinho has ambitions of playing Sessegnon regularly at Spurs in 2020-21, it is the correct decision to keep him at the club – even if another suitors come in with the guarantee of regular action.
The wideman’s versatility will be very useful as fixtures pile up for Tottenahm across four competitions – here’s hoping the upcoming campaign can be the one where Sessegnon reaches his massive potential.