An undervalued player Tottenham Hotspur should not sell

According to several sources, Tottenham is open to the idea of shipping off Oliver Skipp for the right price, a move that the club would regret, if not now than in the near future.

Born in Welwyn Garden City, just 33 kilometres north of Tottenham, Skipp is one of our own. He impressively climbed the Tottenham youth ranks, graduating each level with aplomb, eventually cracking the senior team after a season loan at Norwich.

Skipp, like 90 percent of the side, endured a turbulent 2022-23 season.

His breakout Premier League season came in 2021-22, during Nuno Espirito Santos’ flash-in-the-pan reign and the start of the Antonio Conte tenure. Skipp started 16 of the first 18 matches and was one of Tottenham’s best players.

He was also one of the first players on the team sheet for Nuno and Antonio.

And he would have remained an instrumental part of Conte’s first team had he not suffered season-ending pubis symphysis in January 2022, an injury the 22-year-old battled for almost six months.

After a summer of rehabilitation, and just as he was set to return to first-team proceedings, Skipp suffered another injury setback, this time in his ankle.

His road to recovery was as frustrating as it was confidence-sapping. The Englishman finally returned to the starting team in a 3-1 setback to Arsenal in October 2022.

Struggling to find his peak form, Skipp was forced into a bit-part role until February 2023, when he finally recaptured his starting spot, primarily due to a lack of options rather than a merit-based promotion.

Rodrigo Bentancur and Yves Bissouma went down with serious ailments, opening the door for Skipp’s return. Skipp started in 15 consecutive Premier League matches to end the 2022-23 season.

Spurs lost six of those 15, a record that doesn’t reflect kindly on Skipp’s contribution. While he didn’t reach his pre-injury level, Skipp was by no means culpable for Tottenham’s substandard play.

Like every other Tottenham player, Skipp should be offered a new lease of life under Ange.

Despite a torrid 18 months, he has the potential to flourish in the No. 6 role under the new manager. Maybe not as the starter, but most definitely as a promising understudy.

Skipp will return to his pre-injury form. It’s not a matter of if but when. He’s got the dedication, desire, quality, and passion to do so. And he’s only 22 years old.

Teammates rave about Skipp’s off-field contributions, too. He’s never overwhelmed by the moment and carries himself with a perfect balance of maturity, poise, and hot-blooded gusto.

And he has no issue putting players years his elder into place, a brave and rare character trait.

Up to five years from his prime, Skipp has boundless potential and future captain vibes written all over. He is also tenacious, quick, and fearless.

Tottenham isn’t spoiled for defensive midfield riches, reinforcing Skipp’s importance to the team. The other two senior defensive central midfielders are Yves Bissouma and Pierre Hojbjerg, the latter of whom could also leave Spurs during the summer transfer window.

Tottenham must think long and hard before cashing in on Skipp.

While his case to stay in north London is buoyed massively by growing up within a giant’s stone’s throw of the former White Hart Lane, it’s but one of the countless reasons the club should skip over the thought of selling Oliver.