The hype is real, folks. Luca Williams-Barnett may well be the most exciting talent to come out of the Lilywhite half of north London for a very long time.
Not even Harry Kane generated this sort of fanfare when he was breaking through the ranks, with the formative stages of his eventually esteemed career defined by unsuccessful loans and slander from senior players.
There really isn't anything like one of your own bursting through and making it at the very top. In a sport that's continuing to lose its sense of community, emerging academy products retain a sense of locality.
Spurs have had Harry Winks and Oliver Skipp develop into first-team regulars after Kane's rise to superstardom, and there are high hopes for Mikey Moore, who impressed on loan at Rangers last season and is poised to start our Premier League opener against Brentford on Saturday.
Moore's exciting, but Williams-Barnett, two years his junior, is, as Roberto De Zerbi put it, a "precious diamond". After a strong pre-season, the 17-year-old already looks ready to contribute. De Zerbi must carefully manage his development. He can't be offered too much too soon, but Spurs must also safeguard Williams-Barnett from stagnation.
Tottenham's squad numbers hint at potential Williams-Barnett loan
For the most part, the level of opposition was tame. Still, Williams-Barnett looked at total ease in pre-season. He's a magnetic playmaker who gets you off your seat. You never know what's coming next, with mavericks like him drifting out of the game amid rampant systemisation.
Particularly enthused supporters have called on De Zerbi to trust the teenager right away, especially with no attacking signings coming through the door and James Maddison still working his way back to full fitness. However, Williams-Barnett, unlike Moore, hasn't been assigned a senior squad number for the season, suggesting that he isn't a part of De Zerbi's first team.
That begs the question of whether the 17-year-old will go out on loan before the transfer deadline. The Italian has said the club will try to find the "best solution" for Williams-Barnett, so a temporary departure is on the table.
Otherwise, Williams-Barnett will enjoy another year of youth dominance, and the odd appearance in the domestic cups. With attacking signings expected to arrive in short order, and our creative depth chart bound to improve on the injury front, the time was now for Williams-Barnett to showcase his swagger in the Premier League.
If a loan is the chosen path, Spurs must select wisely. I'd send him to one of Europe's top five leagues with a guarantee of regular first-team minutes.
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