Caughtoffside looks at the 12 Spurs players that are currently out on loan.
No fewer than 12 Tottenham Hotspur players are currently plying their trade away from White Hart Lane on loan deals that expire at the end of the season.
Some have shone away from Spurs, while others have flattered to deceive. Caughtoffside has reviewed the success of the ‘Tottenham 12’ and analysed which players might be welcomed back by the North London club and which are likely to be bombed out this summer.
Lewis Holtby – Fulham
Holtby’s arrival at Spurs in January 2013 was met with major excitement, but the German international was unable to hold down a regular starting place following the additions of Erik Lamela, Christian Eriksen, Nacer Chadli and Paulinho in the summer. As a result, he was allowed to move across London to Craven Craven, where he has featured in 11 of Fulham’s 12 Premier League games this year.
Since joining Fulham, Holtby has caught the eye with a number of impressive displays. Although the 23-year-old certainly has the potential to be a success in England, he has too many players ahead of him in the pecking order at White Hart Lane. He may well stay in the Premier League next season, but he is unlikely to want to go back to being a bit-part at Spurs after sampling regular first-team football at the Cottage.
Spurs contract expires: June 2018
Chances of being on the books at White Hart Lane when the summer window closes: 5/10
Benoit Assou-Ekotto – Queens Park Rangers
For the six seasons following his £3.5m arrival from Lens, Assou-Ekotto was the first choice left-back at White Hart Lane. Despite a recurring knee injury, he made 155 Premier League appearances during that period, before he was sent off to QPR on a season-long loan in September.
Assou-Ekotto’s current Spurs contract is due to expire in the summer of 2015 and the player himself is likely to be keen on seeing out that deal at the very least. Throughout his loan at QPR, the Cameroonian has regularly attended Spurs games alongside the club’s fans. He is also very fond of Tottenham’s star striker Emmanuel Adebayor. The feeling seems to be reciprocated too. Assou-Ekotto is one of just four people that Adebayor follows on Twitter.
With youngsters Danny Rose and Zeki Fryers currently the only recognised left-backs at White Hart Lane, Assou-Ekotto could well be wanted as a squad player at Tottenham next season. Frequent bench-warming could well suit him. After all, he admits that his primary motivation for being a football is money!
Spurs contract expires: June 2015
Chances of being on the books at White Hart Lane when the summer window closes: 6/10
Tom Carroll – Queens Park Rangers
Carroll is rated highly at Tottenham. The 21-year-old made his Spurs debut in the Europa League in 2011 and had racked up nine cup appearances by the time Andre Villas-Boas handed him his first Premier League appearance in November 2012.
He is a fine passer of the ball and has good positional sense, but he is rather lightweight and way behind the likes of Mousa Dembele, Sandro and Paulinho, with whom he will have to compete for a starting place at White Hart Lane.
Carroll has a genuine chance of forging a successful career at Spurs, but next season is too soon for him to make a play for the first XI on a regular basis. He will probably either go out on loan again or become one of the club’s cup specialists. The choice may well be his.
Spurs contract expires: June 2016
Chances of being on the books at White Hart Lane when the summer window closes: 8/10
Jake Livermore – Hull City
Like Carroll, Livermore is probably not yet quite good enough to challenge the likes of Mousa Dembele, Sandro and Paulinho. However, he is too old and too talented to be loaned out again or return to being a peripheral player at White Hart Lane. His best hope of being retained by Spurs is if head coach Tim Sherwood remains in charge next season. Sherwood loves a homegrown youngster. Then again, he is not overly keen on defensive midfielders!
Livermore has certainly not depreciated in value since joining the Tigers on loan in August. The combative midfielder has made 31 Premier League starts for Steve Bruce’s side and has played a key role in the club’s run to the FA Cup final. Hull are likely to make a bid to sign Livermore on a permanent basis in the summer, but the 24-year-old could be in high demand, with a number of top-flight clubs rumoured to be interested in acquiring his services.
Spurs contract expires: June 2016
Chances of being on the books at White Hart Lane when the summer window closes: 6/10
Others
Tottenham trio Ryan Mason, Alex Pritchard and Grant Hall have spent educational seasons at Swindon Town. Midfielder Pritchard, 20, has been the standout player of the three, netting six goals and providing 10 assists in 35 League One appearances.
Playmaker Mason, 22, has been plagued by injury at the County Ground, but he has still managed to bag five goals in 13 league starts. Meanwhile, centre-back Hall, also 22, has racked up 27 league appearances.
Pritchard is likely to remain on Tottenham’s books for another year at the very least, but Mason and Hall could well slip out of the exit door this summer.
Serial loanee Iago Falque has enjoyed a pretty good season at midtable La Laga side Rayo Vallecano. The 24-year-old Spaniard, who has one more year left on his White Hart Lane contract, has hit three goals and made three assists in 25 outings. He may be given another chance to impress at Tottenham in pre-season, but it will be his last chance.
Centre-back Bongani Khumalo, who has made 30 Championship starts for Doncaster Rovers this term, also has one year remaining on his current Spurs deal. The 42-time South Africa international joined Tottenham for £1.7m from Supersport United in January 2011, but the 27-year-old has yet to feature in a competitive match for the Londoners. He probably never will.
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