Tottenham saved by the bell as Preston activate £5m Alfie Devine transfer
Tottenham Hotspur look set to lose Alfie Devine to Preston North End.
The Englishman spent last season on loan at Deepdale and made a positive impression for the Championship outfit.
Despite their 14th-place finish, there were plenty of positives to take for the 21-year-old in his third temporary spell away from North London.
There was every chance that the midfielder could return to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and feature regularly if they had been relegated.
That didn't happen, and now Devine could be on the way back to Preston, something which will ultimately save Spurs' blushes.
Preston activate £5m Alfie Devine transfer option
The Wigan Athletic academy product moved to Hotspur Way in 2020 to link up with the under-18s squad.
He eventually broke through into the N17 first team, but has only made two senior appearances for the North London club.
| Club | Appearances | Goals | Assists |
| Tottenham | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Port Vale | 26 | 3 | 3 |
| Plymouth Argyle | 15 | 0 | 2 |
| Westerlo | 32 | 6 | 1 |
| Preston | 48 | 8 | 7 |
He has seen his loan moves represent almost his entire professional career after previously moving to Port Vale, Plymouth Argyle and Westerlo.
The ex-England under-20 international has certainly made use of the most recent switch to Preston after impressing with 15 goal involvements across all competitions.
That has prompted Paul Heckingbottom's side to move quickly, as the Lancashire Post reported on Saturday that they have opted to activate their option to buy Devine.
The fee is said to be upwards of £5million, with payments expected to be spread over multiple instalments as the Lilywhites smash their transfer record.
Although that may seem like a deal that suits all parties, Devine could have returned to play for Tottenham at one stage, so this arrangement could have been silly.
Tottenham could have been red-faced by Devine sale
Roberto De Zerbi's side are now being linked heavily with big names like Andy Robertson and Marcos Senesi ahead of imminent deals.
That just shows how important a Premier League stay is, but things could have been so different.
Relegation once looked extremely likely, and it left many to ponder what the Spurs lineup could have looked like in the second tier.
Devine would have likely been a regular feature in the Championship, but this option-to-buy option at Preston could have ruined that chance.
Heckingbottom and Co. could have activated that transfer and brought the 21-year-old in, leaving the N17 side without a truly useful option.
Obviously, that won't matter now, as he was unlikely to pick up many minutes in the Premier League, although it shows the true lack of forethought going on at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.