Spurs have a 16-year-old "cheat code" who could be their own Cole Palmer

To put it diplomatically, there have been some real negatives to this season for Tottenham Hotspur, but at least a few positives.

You can take your pick when it comes to the former, from lacklustre form to persistent injuries and a souring atmosphere at home and away.

However, when it comes to the latter, it really boils down to how well a number of the club’s young talents have adapted to first-team football, from summer signings Lucas Bergvall and Archie Gray to academy gem Mikey Moore.

The good news is that another batch of talented youngsters could make their competitive first-team debuts next season, including one academy star who might just be the club’s own Cole Palmer.

The Spurs youngsters who could breakthrough next season

So, before getting to the player in question, it’s worth looking at a couple of other talented prospects who could finally make their competitive debut for the club next season, starting with Ashley Phillips.

The 19-year-old centre-back has spent the season on loan with Championship side Stoke City this year, and despite it being his first full campaign in the second tier, he’s been an essential member of the first team.

Across all competitions, the former Blackburn Rovers gem, whom Tony Mowbray said was “going to be a mega footballer” one day, has made 31 appearances for the Potters, and, most impressively, each one has been a start.

From defence to midfield now, and the next prospect who could play some games under Ange Postecoglou next season is Tyrese Hall.

The 19-year-old ace, who “has a really big future at Tottenham” according to Spurs expert John Wenham, has been enjoying a great season in the club’s U21 side this year.

In just 20 appearances, in which he’s played all over the place, the London-born dynamo has scored six goals and provided four assists, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every other game.

On top of that, he’s now a part of the England U19 camp, but even so, he is not the most exciting player in the club’s academy; that title belongs to someone even younger, someone who could be the Lilywhites’ own Palmer.

In The Pipeline

Football FanCast’s In the Pipeline series aims to uncover the very best youth players in world football.

Spurs’ own Palmer

He may be out of form at the moment, but Palmer is unquestionably one of the most exciting English talents around, and that’s what people could be saying about Luca Williams-Barnett in a few years.

The 16-year-old might still be a relative unknown to the wider footballing public, but he most certainly is not for those who follow academy football.

The incredible youngster, whom analyst Ben Mattinson described as “a name to keep an eye on,” has the potential to be the club’s version of the Chelsea ace for a few reasons.

The first is that, like the England international, he’s a lean-mean-goalscoring-machine.

In just 24 appearances for the U18s, totalling 1887 minutes, the unreal talent has scored 20 goals and provided ten assists.

In other words, he’s averaging 1.25 goal involvements every game, or one every 62.9 minutes, and while he’s still young, that is the sort of form that could force Postecoglou to hand him some first-team minutes next season.

The second reason he could become the club’s version of the former Manchester City prospect is that he, too, is positionally versatile.

For example, while his primary position is attacking midfield, he’s played in left-midfield, left and right-wing and even up top, which helps to explain Wenham’s description of him as a “cheat-code.”

Ultimately, Spurs might be having a terrible season this year, but the future is looking incredibly bright, and Williams-Barnett could make it even more so next season.

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