The £0 Mistake: From Spurs Reject London Star, The player Outpacing Brennan Johnson

Tottenham Hotspur have been able to pride themselves on having a largely successful academy that has allowed them to produce some incredible talent over the years.

Harry Kane will undoubtedly be the name that stands out to the majority of people after his contributions in North London, before making the club a huge profit in the process.

The 31-year-old scored 280 times in 435 appearances for his boyhood club, before finally making the move to Bayern Munich for an initial £82m to allow him to compete at the very top of European football.

As for the current day, 17-year-old Mikey Moore is the latest talent on the Spurs conveyor belt, breaking through and even featuring for the first team despite his tender age.

The attacker made his first senior start in the Europa League clash with Ferencvaros a couple of weeks ago, featuring for the entirety of the contest, giving Ange Postecoglou a potential selection headache in the near future.

However, the club have also demonstrated their ability to succeed in the transfer market, especially with the addition of one current first-team star.

Brennan Johnson’s stats for Tottenham Hotspur

After joining from Nottingham Forest for £47.5m last summer, huge pressure was placed on the shoulders of winger Brennan Johnson to be a success under Postecoglou.

The Welshman had to adapt from being a big fish in a little pond, to featuring alongside the likes of Heung-min Son and James Maddison – some of the very best talents in European football.

He’s since struggled in periods, often needing time to settle into life at Spurs in the Premier League, before making the impact we have seen over recent months.

The 23-year-old has notched six goals for Postecoglou’s side already this campaign – bettering his tally from the entirety of his debut campaign at the club.

Johnson’s subsequent run has undoubtedly cemented his place in Postecoglou’s starting eleven, with credit needing to go to the Aussie for sticking by the attacker during his tough spell at the start of the current season.

However, the 59-year-old is now reaping the rewards with his form in the first-team, allowing the Welshman to play a key role in their attempts to return to Champions League football.

Despite his recent form in London, he’s been outperformed by one player who used to be a part of the club’s academy.

The man Spurs may regret allowing to leave

Winger Noni Madueke was another player who was hoping to burst through the Spurs academy, but his dream of becoming a first-team star in North London would all come crashing down.

The Englishman was released by the club at the age of 16, subsequently taking up the opportunity and moving abroad to further develop his career as a professional.

Madueke decided to join Dutch side PSV Eindhoven, rapidly progressing through the youth system and making a huge impression on the first team.

The winger would make 80 appearances, scoring 20 times in the process – a record that would secure him a move to join Spurs’ Premier League rivals Chelsea back in January 2023.

However, his form this season has seen him outperform current Tottenham star Johnson, adding further insult to injury in allowing him to depart the club for nothing just six years ago.

The current Chelsea star has scored more Premier League goals than Johnson this season, whilst also managing a higher shot-on-target accuracy rate so far this season.

Madueke has also completed more take-ons per 90 whilst averaging more progressive carries – showcasing his desire to get the ball into attacking areas.

As a result of his superb form, the 22-year-old has seen his market value soar to £30m as per Transfermarkt – an indication as to how well he’s developed in recent years.

Given his recent form, the club may have some regrets in allowing the star to leave, potentially having the talent to further ignite their top four ambitions.

However, their decision to offload him as a teenager may come back to bite them, arguably having to sit back and watch the attacker star for one of their rivals.

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