It wasn’t Gareth Bale-like against Inter Milan, but Archie Gray’s performance in the Champions League in midweek felt like the latest breakthrough from Tottenham Hotspur’s young talent.
The all-action midfielder was a joy to watch against an experienced Atlético Madrid side, and his brilliant performance was recognized by Marcos Llorente, who gave the 20-year-old a front-row appearance just as he was about to leave the stage.
There is no greater compliment than a rival’s praise for Gray, who has long filled gaps and holes in defense under managers Thomas Frank and Ange Postecoglou, and is finally being given the chance to flourish in his favored midfield role.
The Englishman, once Leeds United’s golden boy, looks like a shining light for a struggling Spurs side. I hope to see more from both Gray and Tottenham’s academy structure.
Spurs’ next young talent to watch
Wednesday night may have welcomed back the likes of Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero, but it was a night that belonged to Igor Tudor’s youthful core, with the likes of Gray, Matthijs Tell and Xavi Simons all part of a well-deserved 3-2 victory.
The Lilywhites’ absence list meant 19-year-old Callum Oresusi was given another chance off the bench, and the teenager was solid in his cameo role.
The promising playmaker has become a regular in the matchday squad alongside James Rowswell in recent weeks, with the 19-year-old defender notable for scoring three goals in 10 Under-21 Premier League games this season.
Expectations are also high for James Wilson, who will join in January, with the former Hearts striker scoring eight goals in 45 senior games for Edinburgh since coming on the bench under Tudor.
For next season, Spurs will be able to welcome back a number of young players who are currently on loan. Luka Vuskovic and Mikey Moore were notable success stories for the 2025/26 season during their spells at Hamburg and Rangers respectively.
Possibility of Spurs Eleven – 2026/27 | |
|---|---|
position | player |
GK | pastor* |
R.B. | Further away* |
C.B. | Vusković |
C.B. | van de ven |
lb | Spence* |
CM | mountain wall |
CM | gray |
R.M. | holy |
morning | simmons |
LM | moore |
ST | Solanke* |
*Sign Replacement/Upgrade | |
20-year-old centre-forward Will Lanxshire scored eight Championship goals on loan at Oxford United, while Camden-born Tyrese Hall scored six goals on loan at Notts County, making it a huge loan move for the north London side.
There is plenty of reason to be excited, but arguably Spurs’ biggest talent is still waiting for a proper chance at senior level.
Spurs are developing even bigger talent than Archie Gray
The record took a nosedive in midweek, with Gray becoming the fourth-youngest English player to record an assist in a Champions League knockout stage, while also surpassing Dele Alli for the most Champions League starts by a Spurs player under the age of 21 (seven).
Tudor needs to bench Spurs star with 68 touches after embarrassing Archie Gray
Archie Gray was in a class as Spurs secured a 3-2 win over Atletico Madrid.
If any of Tottenham’s current players could improve on these statistics over the next few years, it would be 17-year-old Luca Williams-Barnett.
The promising teenager, who is currently sidelined with injury, has actually only made one first-team appearance so far, making a three-minute cameo in the Carabao Cup win over Doncaster Rovers.
Although he hasn’t had a second chance since then, the England youth star has been named in the senior matchday squad this season and there is certainly a chance he could feature again.
Indeed, his performances at youth level, whether as a left-winger or as a number 10, have been very impressive, with Williams-Barnett scoring 23 goals in 28 games in the Under-18 Premier League and six in just 10 games in Premier League 2.
In the 2025/26 season alone, the young diamond scored 16 goals and contributed eight assists across all competitions, and it’s easy to see why analyst and Como scout Ben Mattinson described him as “one of England’s best talents at youth level”.
In Mattinson’s view there will be something like a future north London battle between Williams Barnett and Arsenal’s 16-year-old sensation Max Dorman, which is yet another indication of the kind of talent Spurs have.
Dauman, who scored against Everton last weekend, looks like England’s next golden boy on the current evidence, but the Tottenham starlet could quickly join the conversation, either before the end of the season or next term.
Gray, along with Tell and Simmons, could be the driving force behind N17’s current survival, but Spurs’ next permanent manager could soon build his team around Williams-Barnett instead.
Of course, it will take patience and realism for a player who is only 17 years old, but this is definitely a talent worth getting excited about. Watch this space.
He was a monster against Atleti: Spurs star looks like a Bale-Modrić hybrid
Wednesday night could prove to be a real breakthrough for the Spurs star.
