Tottenham on trail of England youth international – a future Spurs star?

Aston Villa winger Andre Green has been linked with a move to Tottenham Hotspur in The Sun over recent days as the Premier League’s elite continue to search for the cream of young English talent.

Bournemouth are also said to be interested in the 19-year-old, who recently returned from an injury that had kept him sidelined since mid-September.

Whilst Green is a hot prospect at Villa, there are inevitably questions over whether he is ready to step up to the top flight, particularly with a club such as Tottenham who are competing at the business end of the table.

So, what do we know about him?

The Villa youngster forced his way into Steve Bruce’s plans in the middle of last season and looked set to play a key role this term before a hamstring problem interrupted his progress.

Prior to sustaining the injury, the reported Tottenham target had scored his first goal for his boyhood side in a game against Norwich in August; a delightful curling effort that helped the team to a 4-2 victory.

However, a prolonged absence and the form of Albert Adomah on the left wing over the past few months is likely to see Green facing a struggle to get back in the Villa starting XI, despite making his comeback in the FA Cup defeat to Peterborough United earlier this month.

The England under-20 international would offer Tottenham pace and dribbling ability, as well as a goal threat with his long-range shooting.

Nonetheless, the Villa man is far from the finished article and is often guilty of lacking composure in the final third, which hampers his decision making.

Of course, that can all be ironed out with experience and at such a tender age Green has plenty of time to refine his game and realise his undoubted potential.

He has all the attributes to be an excellent Premier League winger in the future and playing with a higher quality of team-mate at somewhere such as Tottenham would surely be of benefit.

There is a sense, though, that this move may be coming too early in his career and the fee that is being talked about, believed to be at least £10 million, represents a risk for Spurs given the relatively little football he has played to date.

The top clubs are always hasty in their quest to snap up the brightest young players, especially if they are English, but allowing Green to develop at Villa and prove himself there may be a wise move in the long run.

Realistically, he is not going to be anywhere near the Tottenham team at present and that lack of exposure to competitive senior action could hamper his development.

There is a tendency in the Premier League to hoover up young talent only to see it spurned through limited opportunities.

In 18 months’ time he may have doubled in value but it would be worth Tottenham shelling out that extra cash to bring in a player with confidence and experience under his belt.

Green is a rough diamond at the moment and uprooting him from the club he has represented since the age of nine could prove a mistake.

The best thing for the player and for Tottenham right now is to let him blossom at Villa and start reproducing the form that he has shown in flashes on a more consistent basis.

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