Oliver Skipp (Getty Images)
As per Football Insider (h/t The Sun), Tottenham are planning to reward youngster Oliver Skipp with a new contract for his performance this season.
Skipp, 19, came through the ranks of Tottenham’s youth system and was promoted to the senior side in July 2018. He made 8 appearances in the league for Spurs last term and was impressive in the limited opportunities he got.
This season, he has been one of the promising stars along with Japhet Tanganga and Troy Parrott from the youth sides. This season, he has performed brilliantly in the 8 games across all competitions he has featured in and it would be the right decision to hand him a new deal, as per the report.
Meanwhile, Spurs have managed to stay with the top half of the table despite being inconsistent throughout the campaign. They have currently slipped to 8th position in the league standings after failing to win any of their last three league games.
Jose Mourinho had a good chance to sign a few players in January but he opted to go only with the signing of Steven Bergwijn. Apart from that, Spurs didn’t sign anyone and they have faced limitations in the middle of the park.
In the defensive midfield role, Eric Dier and Skipp are the only two players available at the manager’s disposal. Dier seemed to take centre stage in his initial years with some high-level performances but the Englishman has lost his charm. He has failed to live up to the expectations despite Mourinho giving him enough chances.
Therefore, with limited options in the deep-lying role, it would be wise to hand Oliver Skipp a new deal at the club.
The 19-year-old was phenomenal in the FA Cup tie against Norwich and also put in strong displays prior to that. He can go on to become a key player for the club as he has been with them since his youth days.
Naturally a defensive midfielder, Skipp is also capable of operating as a centre-back and is a versatile player. He could be useful for the manager, who is short of options in several departments. And the English U21 can develop himself if he keeps performing with the same enthusiasm.
With limited depth and quality in their ranks, Tottenham should hand Skipp a new deal immediately before any other club comes in search of him. He has the ability to succeed at a higher level and Tottenham must manage to enjoy his best days.
The Englishman has a lot to offer in the future and handing fresh terms to the teenager would be the right move by the club.
