Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Marcus Edwards looks set to embark on a new chapter in his football career as Italian side Udinese close in on a move for him.
The 20-year-old is not part of the first team set-up at Spurs and having returned from a successful loan spell, on a personal level, at Dutch side Excelsior Rotterdam last season, Edwards has been looking for his next destination.
The young midfielder spent some time training with Championship side Brentford last month but a move did not materialise.
Now it appears that Edwards, whose contract at Tottenham ends next summer, will once again embark on a new challenge overseas with a move to Serie A outfit Udinese.
He has not been involved with the club's U23s this season and reports in Italy claim that the Spurs youngster is already out in the country attempting to finalise the deal.
Edwards' career had stuttered after his Spurs debut as a 17-year-old - a bright 10-minute cameo at White Hart Lane in the League Cup against Gillingham in 2016.
Mauricio Pochettino likened the then teenager to having the traits of a young Lionel Messi, but injuries in that first season prevented the talented midfielder from adding to his debut.
From then on Edwards struggled to get back into the first team set-up. Pochettino spoke about behavioural issues and admitted he regretted those Messi comparison and it has influenced his public praise for young players ever since.
Edwards returned early from an ill-fated loan spell at Norwich City but rebuilt his reputation with his season on loan in the Eredivisie with Excelsior.
While the Dutch club ended up being relegated through the Dutch play-off system, the young Spurs midfielder earned praise from his team-mates and the media for his ability and performances, particularly from the turn of the year when he had fully adapted to his new surroundings.
Now Edwards looks set to follow in the footsteps of former academy team-mates Keanan Bennetts and Reo Griffiths in building a professional career for himself in foreign climes.
