‘It’s up to him’ – Pundit View: Tottenham could get rid of teen wonder permanently in summer

Tottenham youngster Alfie Devine may be facing a make-or-break summer in North London, despite impressing during his loan spell with Plymouth Argyle, according to Alan Hutton.

Before temporarily moving to Home Park for the balance of the season, the 19-year-old had a fantastic first half of the season while on loan with Port Vale in League One, where he made 23 appearances and managed to score three goals.

This season, Devine has made six appearances for Argyle, dishing out two assists to his teammates. The youthful midfielder has received high praise from both fans and commentators for his performances in the Championship.

Hutton believes that Devine will need to make an impression on Ange Postecoglou during Tottenham’s preseason games in order to stay in the team come summertime, even though he anticipates the manager giving the teenager another look at the conclusion of the season.

“I believe that the primary goal is to go and perform well,” Hutton stated to the Toronto News.

“To demonstrate to your parent club that you are more than capable, put yourself in the shop window. Since he’s now doing well, he will be on Postecoglou’s mind.

“I always believe that if a player is away for preseason, especially if they are too young for that level of experience, when they return, they will always be away with the first team.

“The management will have monitored them and will choose the best course of action after observing how he performs in this setting going forward.

“After that, it will be up to him. Can he go and prove to him that he is capable throughout these preseason games? If not, they’ll either let him go or put him out on loan once more.

Will Tottenham keep Alfie Devine or look for summer transfer exit?

It’s difficult for young players to make an impression under Postecoglou because North London already has an abundance of midfield and offensive depth, and players like James Maddison and Pierre Sarr play outstanding midfield roles.

Devine can certainly compete at the senior level, though, as demonstrated by his performances while out on loan this season. Even though League One and the Championship have seen those performances, it is still a significant step in the right way.

As Hutton said, the onus is now on the teenager to convince Postecoglou that he deserves a spot in the starting lineup during the preseason; if not, Tottenham might decide to cash in on one of their more intriguing assets.