What next for Troy Parrott?
It feels like a question that could be something of a trap for Tottenham Hotspur boss Jose Mourinho.
The 17-year-old striker is highly-rated and has been in such good form in the youth teams that he has already made his senior bow for the Republic of Ireland.
And yet, one feels that he is in limbo.
Mourinho has said that he will not be sending the teenager out on loan because he is simply too young. And yet, he isn’t getting any minutes in the first-team either.
No clues whatsoever: Which seasons do these iconic Spurs images belong to?
He played 66 minutes against Colchester United in the EFL Cup earlier this season under Mauricio Pochettino but he did not score as Spurs lost on penalties.
Under Jose Mourinho, he has played five minutes, coming on as a late substitute in the 5-0 win over Burnley.
In the youth teams, he has been prolific, scoring six goals in the UEFA Youth League, including a four-goal haul against Red Star Belgrade in a stunning 9-2 win.
And with that comes a puzzle.
Parrott, clearly, is too good to be playing against certain youth opposition. He scored twice in the Premier League 2 appearance he has had this season, versus Manchester City, and also netted a brace in the FA Youth Cup victory over Liverpool.
His ceiling at youth level looks to have been reached but he also does not appear quite ready for top-level Premier League football, either.
Even with Harry Kane’s injury against Southampton, he did not play in the FA Cup third-round tie against Middlesbrough, although he was on the bench. He was not even a substitute versus the Saints, when Spurs were forced to play Erik Lamela through the middle following Kane's withdrawal.
Thus, a decision needs to be taken and Mourinho probably needs to make a U-turn.
Parrott, at the end of the day, needs minutes; he needs to be playing first-team football and his plight is brought into sharper focus by the injury to Kane. Spurs don’t have a senior striker yet he isn’t playing.
Letting him go out on loan to a lower-league club – League One or League Two feels like the level for the teenager – where he can play regularly would surely be better for his development than him bouncing between the youth teams and the senior squad.
The quicker it happens – the transfer window is open, after all – the better.
Meanwhile, Jose Mourinho has made a huge demand to chairman Daniel Levy.