Tottenham Developing Homegrown Kulusevski-Like Talent in 16-Year-Old Prodigy

While Tottenham’s Premier League position may not reflect it, the club boasts an array of talented players across all positions. From defenders like Djed Spence and Micky van de Ven to attackers like Son Heung-min, quality runs throughout the squad.

The midfield is particularly stacked with gamechangers like Lucas Bergvall, James Maddison and Pape Matar Sarr. However, arguably Spurs’ best player is Dejan Kulusevski – and excitingly, the club may have a homegrown version of the Swedish star in the works.

What Makes Kulusevski Special?

Kulusevski’s excellence stems from two key factors. First is his remarkable versatility. While primarily used as a right winger, he has thrived in multiple positions this season, including central midfield. Over his Tottenham career, Kulusevski has played 70 games as a right winger, 40 in attacking midfield, and various appearances across other attacking and midfield roles.

The second factor is Kulusevski’s consistent productivity. This season alone, he has notched 10 goals and 10 assists in 42 appearances across all competitions. Only club captain Son Heung-min has been more productive for Spurs.

Tottenham’s Homegrown Kulusevski

While Mikey Moore has been Tottenham’s most talked-about academy product this season, 16-year-old Luca Williams-Barnett could be next in line to make an impact.

Like Kulusevski, Williams-Barnett is extremely versatile, capable of playing as an attacking midfielder, on either wing, as a striker, or even in left midfield. Academy expert John Wenham has described him as a “cheat code” due to this flexibility.

More importantly, Williams-Barnett is already proving to be a prolific attacking outlet at youth level. In just 24 appearances (1887 minutes) for Tottenham’s U18 side, he has scored an incredible 20 goals and provided 10 assists. This translates to 1.25 goal involvements per game, or one every 62.9 minutes.

If Williams-Barnett can maintain this trajectory, there’s a strong possibility he could be playing alongside Kulusevski in Tottenham’s first team as early as next season. While this campaign has been disappointing for Spurs, the emergence of talents like Williams-Barnett provides hope for a brighter future.