Tottenham Hotspur youngster Luca Williams-Barnett made a strong impression during the club’s pre-season summer camp, showing Spurs exactly what he could offer. The teenager featured heavily throughout the preparations, recording 254 minutes — the 12th-highest total among the squad.
His performances have now earned him opportunities with Roberto De Zerbi’s first team. Williams-Barnett made his senior debut in Tottenham’s Carabao Cup clash with Charlton Athletic, coming off the bench for the final 12 minutes.
And it appears the youngster could now be on course for an even bigger role around the first team.
Tottenham’s Under-21s faced Exeter City in the EFL Trophy on Tuesday night, but Williams-Barnett was again absent from the squad. Interestingly, the teenager has yet to make an appearance for the Under-21s this season.
His absence is particularly notable because he was also left out of the Under-21 squad during the week Tottenham faced Charlton. That omission was viewed as a possible sign that he would be involved with the senior side — and that prediction proved correct.
With Williams-Barnett repeatedly missing from youth-team action, there is growing speculation that De Zerbi could now be keeping him permanently around the first-team setup.
De Zerbi sees something special in Williams-Barnett
The decision would come as little surprise given the high praise De Zerbi has already given the youngster.
During pre-season, the Tottenham boss labelled Williams-Barnett a “precious diamond”, while highlighting the areas he still needs to develop.
De Zerbi explained that the club must carefully manage his development, helping him improve his decision-making in the final third while also becoming physically stronger.
The Spurs boss also made it clear that he believes Williams-Barnett has the potential to become a special player.
With regular exposure to the first-team environment, De Zerbi will have a much greater opportunity to develop, refine and accelerate the teenager’s game.
For Tottenham, Williams-Barnett could be another exciting young talent ready to take the next step.
