Tying down prospect Reo Griffiths key for Tottenham
Having caught fire this season with 33 goals and 12 assists, young forward Reo Griffiths is a hot commodity and Spurs must secure his long-term signature.
Ever since the arrival of Harry Kane into Spurs’ first team, the club has struggled to find a striker capable of producing in the legend’s stead. Both Vincent Janssen and Fernando Llorente have failed to leave their mark. And although a great scorer, Son Heung-Min operates more effectively out wide.
The perfect backup might already be waiting in the wings with Tottenham’s academy. Seventeen-year-old forward Reo Griffiths has enjoyed a prolific spell this season playing in the youth setup. His 33 goals across all competitions this season include three hat tricks and a seven braces.
Griffiths operates primarily up top, but can also drift out wide and inflict similar damage. Much like Kane, he also has an eye for a pass and was able to find a teammate for a goal a dozen times this term. There is also skill and grace about his play, as well as the required strength to hold up the ball. Great at moving around the box to get attempts, his positioning is also quite strong.
His brilliant scoring has caught the eye of Spurs fans on Twitter, with thousands of tweets pouring in hoping to see him obtain some first team action. Another youngster, Kazaiah Sterling, has seen the bench this year. Perhaps it is time for Griffiths to get that shot.
He has also caught the eye of scout Paul Mitchell, now working in Germany with RB Leipzig. Mitchell spent three years as the head of recruitment at Tottenham. Leipzig are known for giving plenty of minutes to young players, and Reo fits right into their current setup.
This is an enticing offer for a young player, but one he hopefully does not take. The talent is clearly there as he could be the next big breakthrough at Tottenham. Young, natural goal scorers are hard to come by, and Spurs must do everything to keep hold of their potential wunderkind.
With Spurs once again heading out to America for a preseason tournament, Griffiths not only deserves a spot on the plane but the youngster should see ample playing time.
Much like Tashan Oakley-Boothe last season, Mauricio Pochettino loves to give youngsters a chance in these games. With Llorente and Janssen having no future at Spurs, now is the perfect time to let Griffiths get some invaluable match time under his inexperienced belt. And if Tottenham can manage to wrap up a top four place, a run out for the striker in the final matches of the season should also be on the cards.
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The hardest part will be getting Griffiths to sign a professional contract, but Pochettino is certainly aware of the circumstances at play. Good, young players have to be given a chance, and Griffiths has earned the right to show his boundless potential at the top level.