Tottenham Hotspur have so many talented young players in their first team squad and in the youth academy, and the preseason of action under Roberto De Zerbi, who is in just his first offseason as Spurs coach, is highlighting just how strong the youth is at N17.
Luca Williams-Barnett has probably turned the most heads through the first two friendly matches this summer, but another player drawing rave reviews from the fans is 18 year old center back Malachi Hardy, an England youth international and yet another young talent who is fully COYS.
In addition to praising Williams-Barnett after another excellent performance, De Zerbi made sure to give a little bit of love to Hardy, too, after Tottenham took down Auckland FC 2-0 on their preseason tour abroad.
Malachi Hardy is on the radar now
De Zerbi said of the youth central defender, via Lilywhite Rose, “Malachi is another good player for the future of the club”.
Tottenham Hotspur have one talented young center back they signed last summer transfer window in Kota Takai, who was overshadowed by Luka Vuskovic in the same league but also had some fantastic performances for a struggling Borussia Monchengladbach side in the Bundesliga.
Meanwhile, Tottenham could be plotting big things for Malachi Hardy this season on loan, too. He is not as hyped as Luka Vuskovic, but at the same age at 18 years old, Hardy may actually be better in some ways in terms of his ability to cover spaces and play the Premier League style defensively.
Hardy looks ready for a loan to a team where he can start regularly and play against meaningful competition in a top five league in European football or, at the very least, a solid EFL Championship club. He has been excellent and one of the standouts in defense during these friendly matches, and while they are indeed friendlies against lower level competition that Hardy, with a lot to prove, should be shining against, he is exceeding expectations and getting on everyone's radar.
Roberto De Zerbi has definitely taken notice of Hardy's potential, as have all the Tottenham supporters. As Tottenham consider which young players to loan and opportunities for growth for their best prospects, Hardy's name now has to be one of the first on the list in terms of players who can take a big step forward in the 2025/26 season. He looked totally calm and in control during the clean sheet in Auckland.
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