Are Tottenham missing a trick with the Spanish youth?

Huddlestone: One success story of Tottenham's current policy

Possessing a policy of bringing English lads into an English squad is admirable, no doubt about it, as a sense of patriotism is remaining intact and this is exactly what Tottenham Hotspur do, buying the best young English players and allowing them time to develop – it’s worked with Tom Huddlestone and is expected to soon pay dividends with the likes of Kyle Naughton and John Bostock. But whilst Spurs can boast English success stories when they break through, they haven’t had the same degree of European talent coming through as many other clubs have.

A growing trend these days is to pick up young Spanish players due to a flaw in contract procedures for young players in Spain which allows foreign clubs to nab them on the cheap. A number of clubs have already benefited from this with the most obvious example being Spurs’ arch-rivals Arsenal whose inspirational captain Cesc Fabregas was acquired this way. The same occurred for Manchester United in their signing of Gerard Pique and a number of clubs have taken to getting youngsters this way with Liverpool in particular thought to have sealed some real stars of the future.

As promising as Spurs’ transfer tendencies are, they still tend to buy in experienced players from around the world rather than giving chances to the young English stars, knowing that the young guns are still just diamonds in the rough. But these young foreign imports, particularly the Spanish, are establishing themselves in first teams at young ages and going on to become crucial parts of the first team. Something which hasn’t been said of many Spurs youngsters to date.

Throughout the modern era Spurs have seemed uninterested in Spanish players; whilst many other Premier League teams are picking up more and more Spaniards and they are becoming a more regular commodity in the league Spurs seem to ignore the Spanish market. Even when Spaniard Juande Ramos was in charge Spurs didn’t move for Spanish signings, instead looking at other Premiership teams or French sides to bring in most of their signings. There were arrivals from Spain but they weren’t Spaniards, why is unclear given that the Spanish are given one of the best football upbringing’s out there.

Even now when there is a top Spanish gem on the market in Sergio Canales, Spurs aren’t right up there chasing him. The club’s name has been mentioned but is nowhere near as heavily linked as the likes of Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal and so on. Canales is a cracking young player but Spurs would prefer to sign an English alternative, even if he’ll take a while to ready himself for first team football.

Football’s a global sport and Spurs can sign players from anywhere but Spaniards are looking to be one of the best value for money brackets in signings due to their contract issues and the way many youngsters progress at a very young age over there. I’m a big fan of La Liga and believe the players over there are brought up in a great way to prepare themselves for professional football. Many are well suited to the English leagues and it wouldn’t hurt Spurs to try them out a little more, particularly when so many have made the change in leagues look so easy in recent times.

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