Mikey Moore’s fate will be sealed if Spurs sign £70m star

Amid all of the chaos at Tottenham Hotspur in recent years, there has been one constant source of positivity; the academy.

Sure, the Lilywhites may have finished 17th last term, nearly relegated to the Championship, but they continue to produce some of the finest young talent in the country.

Luca Williams-Barnett has made a name for himself in pre-season and has been joined by the likes of Jamie Donley, Malachi Hardy and Mikey Moore in shining brightly for Roberto De Zerbi’s side.

Moore, in particular, was one of the best players on the park on Saturday as Spurs beat Hoffenheim 3-0.

How Mikey Moore has staked his claim in pre-season

The 19-year-old forward has long been seen as one of most exciting players to emerge from the Tottenham academy since the great Harry Kane.

He may not be on course to replicate Kane’s performances or even reach his stardom but the future certainly looks bright for this budding teenager.

Last term, the winger played regular senior football for the first time in his career at Rangers and while the Scottish side endured a topsy-turvy campaign, Moore stood out with seven goals and four assists.

A loan move may well beckon again for the talented English prodigy but he is not heading away without having made a statement to De Zerbi.

Moore has appeared in pre-season wins over MK Dons, Auckland FC, Chelsea and Hoffenheim but saved his finest performance for the German side this weekend.

The teen was on the scoresheet twice in a 3-0 victory, taking both goals very well. Both strikes came in the second half and both were provided by Mathys Tel.

Tel, who was playing on the left wing, did brilliantly for both strikes, carving inside and out of multiple Hoffenheim defenders for the first before laying the ball on a plate for Moore.

The Englishman had a bit more to do for the second, taking a touch to bring the ball past the defender before calmly slotting it into the back of the net.

Whether that performance does enough to convince De Zerbi to keep Moore around this season remains to be seen. Unfortunately for him, however, it looks unlikely.

Bad news for Moore: Spurs close in on winger signing

Forward players. That’s what Spurs need next and luckily for the manager, those behind the scenes are working away to give the Italian exactly that.

Amid links to the likes of Victor Osimhen, Nicolas Jackson and Folarin Balogun, the Lilywhites are looking to secure one or two high-class wingers.

Manchester City’s Savinho is widely thought to be edging closer to joining Spurs but he is not the only winger homing in on a switch.

Indeed, in what will no doubt represent a big blow to the aforementioned Moore, a move for Cody Gakpo of Liverpool is also getting closer.

That’s the word of TEAMtalk who reported over the weekend that Gakpo has told Liverpool he wants to leave Anfield behind and join Tottenham this summer.

Talks have already occured behind the scenes with the Dutchman already agreeing personal terms with Spurs. While both player and club want the move, an exit is only likely to be sanctioned if the Reds can sign not one but two new wingers between now and September’s deadline.

With a fee of £70m mooted in recent weeks, this would be yet another landmark move for Spurs and one that would impact Moore’s chances of regular football significantly. The wide man was never going to play too much this season and as a result, he is set to move out on loan. However, in the years to come, it will impact him.

Why? Well, despite scoring twice from the right wing on Saturday, he admitted that he is too keen on the idea of playing on that side of the attack. He said: “It is a little bit different for me, but I have got a lot of experience playing there, I think I played there a bit under Ange. It’s not my most comfortable, but I think I can do a good job there so it was nice to come out with some credit.”

Moore’s favoured position is certainly on the left and unfortunately for him, that’s also Gakpo’s preferred position.

REUTERS/Daniel Becerril

In 35 of his 52 matches last term, the Netherlands star played on the left, scoring eight times and assisting five. Furthermore, in 43 of his 49 matches in 2024/25, the Liverpool man played on the left. It was a brilliant campaign for him, scoring 18 times from that role.

The fact is, that while Moore is exciting and raw, he’s inexperienced, particularly in the Premier League. Gakpo is not. Like all of Tottenham’s marquee signings this summer, he is a ready-made player. He is a plug and play option who could take Spurs to the next level.

Possessing pace, creativity and an ability to score regular goals, the 27-year-old would bring everything that a certain Heung-min Son brought to north London.

With Mathys Tel, Wilson Odobert and Xavi Simons playing on the left last term, Spurs did not get much joy. With Gakpo, however, that could be set to change. For Moore, he will have to go away and learn his trade elsewhere before potentially offering competition in the years to come.