Three academy stars who can break through under Thomas Frank at Tottenham
Thomas Frank could give the nod to three Tottenham academy stars this season.
Tottenham rounded the summer off with Randal Kolo Muani and Xavi Simons.
However, even with the acquisition of several squad players, there is doubt on whether Spurs have enough quality to consistently compete.
As such, Frank could be open to testing the waters with a couple of academy talents, as Tottenham News suggests three stars who could have their breakthrough this season.
Luca Williams-Barnett
This list would not be credible without the inclusion of Luca Williams-Barnett, who is often referred to as the most talented player in Tottenham’s academy.
The attacking midfielder scored 20 goals and provided 12 assists for the Under-18s last season.
- Williams-Barnett picked up the Premier League’s Under-18 Goal of the Season award for his goal from the half-way line against Leicester City
- He already has four goal contributions in four games for the 2025/26 season.
Williams-Barnett signed a two-year scholarship at Tottenham as part of the most recent cohort, and there is an understanding that he could be promoted to the first team sooner rather than later. Despite his young age of 16, he plays with experience and could be called up in the Carabao or FA Cups this season.
Tynan Thompson
Tynan Thompson shocked spectators during Tottenham’s pre-season fixture against Wycombe behind closed doors.
The winger was substituted onto the pitch 20 minutes after half-time and delivered an inch-perfect cross for Pape Matar Sarr’s second goal. The composure, technical skill and energy he showed gave rise to conversations that Thompson could replace Son Heung-min at Tottenham this season.
While that does seem overly ambitious, given his age. Considering the Lilywhites have not recruited a left winger this summer, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him take to the pitch at some point this season.
Jun’ai Byfield
Jun’ai Byfield often goes under the radar at Tottenham despite being referred to as one of the best defenders of his age group.
Part of this stems from the fact that Spurs have a pretty solid defensive unit. However, as injuries to Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero demonstrated last season, nothing in football is guaranteed.
As a result, Byfield could be given some minutes by Frank during some of the Lilywhites Cup games. The centre-back is considered one of the more developed youngsters in Spurs’ academy and could thrive if given a chance.
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