Spurs are brewing a ridiculous 16-year-old who could replace Son

The last five years at Tottenham Hotspur have been characterised by one thing: change.

The North Londoners have fired three permanent managers since Mauricio Pochettino was sacked, and with how things have gone this season, Ange Postecoglou could be the next.

On top of that, the team has undergone a massive overhaul, with all-time top goalscorer and England captain Harry Kane sold to Bayern Munich in 2023.

In fact, one of the last remaining stars from Pochettino’s team is Son Heung-min, and even then, it feels like just a matter of time before he is moved on as well, so it’s a good thing Hotspur Way might just be about to produce the perfect replacement.

Son’s recent form

So, it’s important to first recognise that, with a total haul of 173 goals and 93 assists in 450 games for the North Londoners, Son is both a legend of the club and, arguably, the Premier League as well.

However, he’s going to be 33 years old at the start of next season, and while he’s still a useful player, he’s not as devastatingly effective as he once was, which is hardly surprising, as according to research from The Athletic, wingers hit their peak at 26 and become significantly less effective in 1-on-1 situations when they hit 30.

It sounds harsh, but when looking at this season compared to the campaign in which he turned 30, the 21/22 season, it’s clear that he’s taken a step back.

For example, in that campaign, he scored 24 goals and provided eight assists in 45 games, totalling 3526 minutes, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 1.40 games, or every 110.18 minutes.

In contrast, he has scored 11 goals and provided 12 assists in 42 appearances, totalling 2981 minutes this year, which works out to an average of a goal involvement every 1.82 games, or every 129.60 minutes.

On top of that, according to FBref, he has fallen from the top 1% of attacking midfielders in the Premier League for non-penalty goals in the 21/22 season to just the top 32% this season.

In short, Son remains a player who could undoubtedly contribute for the next couple of years, but he is someone who will need to be replaced, and luckily, Hotspur Way may be in the process of brewing the perfect player.

In The Pipeline

Football FanCast’s In the Pipeline series aims to uncover the very best youth players in world football.

Spurs’ future Son replacement

So, while a number of you may be thinking of Mikey Moore, and understandably so, we are talking about an academy gem who’s yet to even make a first-team appearance: Lucá Williams-Barnett.

Now, for those who are aware of the superstar in the making, you might be confused about how an attacking midfielder could be the answer to Son’s eventual departure, but therein lies one of the 17-year-old’s big strengths: his versatility.

During his time at Hotspur Way, the tremendously exciting prospect has played in a number of positions, including central and attacking midfield, left midfield, centre-forward and, of course, on both wings, leading academy expert John Wenham to describe him as a “cheat-code.”

However, it’s not just his positional versatility that should excite fans and see him included in first-team games next season, but his sensational output.

For example, in 17 appearances this season, totalling 1375 minutes, the teenage phenomenon, whom analyst Ben Mattinson described as someone “to keep an eye on”, has already amassed a frankly absurd haul of 18 goals and nine assists.

Incredibly, that means the Luton-born dynamo is averaging 1.58 goal involvements every game, or one every 50.92 minutes.

Ultimately, it’s too soon to expect Williams-Barnett to come into the first team and replicate his sensational youth form right away, but in the coming years, as Son is increasingly phased out of the team, we do not doubt that the teenager will get his chance and prove his worth.

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