Tottenham Hotspur endured a truly dreadful campaign last season, as the man who was supposed to bring them trophies and success, Antonio Conte, instead brought them nothing but dull football and a general feeling of apathy around the club.
To make things worse, arguably the greatest player the club has ever seen – their all-time record scorer, Harry Kane – then left in the summer to join Bayern Munich, so it's fair to say that things weren't looking good for new boss Ange Postecoglou when he walked through the door in the summer.
However, fast-forward half a season, and Spurs look better than they have in years, and were it not for several unfortunate injuries to Micky Van de Ven, James Maddison and Rodrigo Bentancur, Tottenham would likely be genuine title contenders.
The Australian manager has got the Lilywhites flying in the Premier League, and it's hard to deny that Postecoglou appears to have the Midas touch in N17, something he could cement by passing on a player who has been consistently touted for a move to the club and putting his faith in a youngster instead.
Tottenham's links to a rival's star
Tottenham have been consistently linked with a move for Chelsea's Conor Gallagher for months, with the interest first rearing its head in the summer transfer window.
However, a move failed to materialise due to the Blues' asking price of £50m, which neither the Lilywhites nor West Ham United – the other interested party – were willing to pay.
The club have maintained their interest in the 23-year-old since the summer, and while the Pensioners are willing to listen to offers due to their reluctance to keep players entering the final stages of their contract – Gallagher has 18 months remaining – the player himself is reportedly intent on fighting for his future at Stamford Bridge.
While the Epsom-born ace would likely be great under Postecoglou's tutelage, his reluctance to leave Chelsea might be a blessing in disguise, especially as Spurs already have the perfect alternative on the books, Alfie Devine.
Alfie Devine's Youth Statistics
Devine has now firmly cemented himself as a senior footballer thanks to his time-out on loan this season, but before he was given a chance to show the footballing world what he could do on a week-by-week basis, he was tearing things up for Spurs' junior sides and making quite the name for himself at the same time.
For example, the "exquisite technician", as U23 scout Antonio Mango described him, sailed through the youth sides in North London, and despite being just 19 years old at the moment, he has 48 appearances to his name for Tottenham's U23 side, in which he scored 13 goals and provided seven assists.
He scored five goals and provided one assist in 16 appearances for the U18 side, and in just four appearances in the UEFA Youth League, he scored three goals, so it's not hard to see why he was fast-tracked through the setup.
His outstanding form at youth level wasn't just reserved for Spurs, however, as his time in the national setup has been just as impressive, and it seems only a matter of time until he picks up the phone and it's Gareth Southgate on the other end.
He made his debut for the U16 side in a friendly against Scotland – if that can ever be considered a friendly – on August 25th 2019, but he would make just four appearances for the side before joining up with the U19 set-up two years later, and then the U20 camp 13 caps later at just 18 years old.
With a rise as meteoric as this, it's easy to see why talent scout Jacek Kulig considers the Warrington-born gem as "one of the most talented English players of his generation."
Games
Goals
Assists
48
13
7
16
4
1
4
3
0
11
2
0
13
2
0
4
0
0
Alfie Devine vs Conor Gallagher this season
Now, if Devine were still just plying his trade in the youth sides, with no more than the odd appearance for the first team here and there, then the argument for playing him over Gallagher would be weak. After all, the Chelsea man has a significant amount of Premier League experience under his belt already.
However, with the promising prospect spending the first half of this season on loan with League One outfit Port Vale and then moving to Championship side Plymouth Argyle for even more of a challenge, who's to say he couldn't make another jump this summer?
The young dynamo scored three goals and provided three assists for Port Vale in 26 appearances, and he already has one assist to his name in just one second-tier appearance for the Pilgrims against Cardiff City, meaning he is averaging a goal involvement every 3.71 games.
In comparison, the Chelsea ace has yet to score in any competition this season and has racked up just six assists in 29 appearances for Mauricio Pochettino's side, or a goal involvement every 4.83 games on average.
Now, of course, this could be attributed to the quality of opposition faced by the two players. However, in that case, their teammates' quality should also be considered, and it's unlikely that either Port Vale or Plymouth can match the likes of Raheem Sterling, Cole Palmer or Enzo Fernández, for example.
Moreover, it isn't simply just goals and assists where the 19-year-old has a clear advantage, but also in the pair's underlying numbers.
Devine
Gallagher
0.52
0.23
0.13
0.00
0.13
0.21
6.25
5.73
2.50
1.88
0.87
0.47
5.92
3.22
1.18
0.36
0.94
1.72
1.25
0.68
2.50
1.04
In essentially every relevant metric for an all-action central midfielder, the Tottenham diamond emerges victorious. For example, he produces a significantly more impressive expected goal and assists figure, more progressive passes and carries per 90, and is far more adept at taking on defenders.
The Chelsea ace does win more tackles on average, but Devine once again comes out on top regarding clearances.
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Ultimately, Postecoglou would likely turn Gallagher into a great player for the club, but when Devine is already in the pipeline, why not use him?
