The indefinite suspension of football has hit football clubs hard with significant loss of incomes in the short-term, combined with long-term uncertainty over when the game will return. As such, a lot of economic uncertainty has been generated and the transfer market this year will be massively deflated.
This is not all bad news, however. As multiple examples have shown over the years, fewer signings will give more first-team opportunities to younger players who otherwise would not have had the chance to showcase their talent.
We take a look at four Spurs youngsters who could benefit from the club tightening their belt.
Troy Parrott
Born and raised in Dublin, the striker joined Spurs aged just 15 from local Irish side Belvedere and signed his first professional contract on his 17th birthday. He made his first debut this season against Colchester in the EFL Cup and featured for the first time in the Premier League win in December’s 5-0 win over Burnley.
That came a month after his international debut for the Republic of Ireland - and his potential at both club and international level is obvious.
Penning a new three-and-a-half-year contract in February, fans have even called for the 18-year-old to be given a first-team run following injuries to Harry Kane and Seung-Min Son. His emergence may be the perfect opportunity to give Kane the original rest and to share some of the goalscoring burden.
Oliver Skipp
The most established of the current crop hopeful of establishing themselves in the first-team squad, the central midfielder has already notched 20 first-team appearances across the past two seasons.
The England U21 international has only made eight appearances this season for the Lilywhites but he caught the eye in the recent games against Norwich City and Burnley. With the future of Tanguy Ndombele increasingly uncertain, Skipp could establish himself as a first-team regular in a similar manner to Harry Winks.
Japhet Tangana
The defender only made his Premier League debut against Liverpool in January but has featured in a further five top-flight games and has made his mark under Jose Mourinho.
The central defender celebrated his 21st birthday last month and whilst there appears to be a lack of clarity on his own contractual situation, Spurs will be hopeful of clearing this up as soon as possible.
With Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen both advancing in years and possibly making way in the near future, Tangana could be a star in the years to come.
Ryan Sessegnon
Spurs parted with a sizable £25million fee, which could rise to £30m, plus academy graduate Josh Onomah - to land the full-back from Fulham a year ago.
With 120 first-team appearances for Fulham and still a teenager, Sessegnon has that rare combination of youth and experience that could present a tempting case for Mourinho over the coming months.
Injury prolonged his debut until November this season but he has looked promising in his matches since, even if he is yet to fully settle at the club. He became the club’s youngest Champions League scorer with a strike at Bayern Munich in December and could feel like a new signing when football resumes.
