Tottenham Hotspur have produced a number of impressive young players from their academy who have gone on to forge impressive careers for themselves.
Ollie Skipp, who has made 20 appearances in all competitions this season, is the only regular first-team player at the moment who came through the youth set-up.
However, Harry Kane, who left to join Bayern Munich last summer, is perhaps the best example of a player breaking through the academy to become a star for the club.
The England captain racked up 278 goals and 64 assists in 430 appearances for the Lilywhites in all competitions before his switch to Germany.
Ange Postecoglou should now be looking to the current crop of youngsters to unearth the next Skipp or the next Kane over the coming months and years.
One player, however, who slipped through their grasp at a young age was Chelsea centre-forward Armando Broja, who had been part of the Tottenham academy.
Why Tottenham lost Armando Broja for £0
In an interview with Chelsea's website, Broja once revealed that he spent two years with Spurs from U8s through to the end of his U9s season.
He stated that Blues scouts were impressed by his performances against them and they decided to snap him up after his two campaigns with the Lilywhites academy.
This meant that Tottenham lost the promising striker for nothing as they were unable to convince the prospect to continue his development in North London.
Of course, there is no telling how a player will develop and grow, both technically and physically, at such a young age but Chelsea being interested in him suggests that he was showing great potential at that point.
Perhaps if Spurs could have kept him if they had fought harder to keep hold of Broja and made it clear that they were the best place for him to continue his progress, with a clear pathway to eventually make it through to the older age groups and, then, the first-team many years down the line.
This is all, however, with the benefit of hindsight as the Albania international has gone on to forge a Premier League career for himself and still has plenty of time left to develop further.
Tottenham may look back on their failure to keep him as a howler, given his progression since his move across London, and they should use it as a warning for the next time a club attempts to snap up one of their prospects at a young age, and possibly fight harder to retain them.
Armando Broja's current market value
Having left Spurs for £0, Broja has worked his way into senior football over the last few years and is currently valued at a whopping £35m by Chelsea.
TalkSPORT reported on deadline day at the start of this month that the Blues wanted that figure to sell him permanently during the recent January transfer window.
However, they allowed him to join fellow Premier League side Fulham on loan until the end of the season, in a deal that could cost the Cottagers up to £4m based on his appearances.
Marco Silva's side decided to bring him in to bolster their forward line as he has previously showcased his quality at the top level with Southampton and Vitesse.
After a superb return of 16 goals and five assists in 35 matches for Chelsea's U18 team, Dutch side Vitesse secured his services on loan for the 2020/21 campaign.
The then-teenager, who was once described as "magnificently unique" by U23 scout Antonio Mango, caught the eye with his performances in the Netherlands as he scored 11 goals and provided three assists in 34 appearances in all competitions.
Broja's Eredivisie exploits caught the eye the attention of the Saints, who swooped to bring him to lead the line for them in the Premier League the following season.
Appearances
32
Starts
21
Goals
Six
Big chances missed
Five
Big chances created
Two
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, the young marksman enjoyed a solid first season in the top-flight of English football with more goals scored than big chances missed, which suggests that he performed well in front of goal with the opportunities that his teammates provided him with.
A significant knee injury, that kept him out for 39 matches during the 2022/23 campaign, has stunted his development since those two seasons with Vitesse and Southampton.
Broja has scored one goal in six starts in the Premier League so far this season and will be hoping to get back to his best at the top end of the pitch during his time with Fulham.
Overall, Spurs missed out on a very valuable talent, who is now 22 and already valued at £35m with plenty of experience under his belt, and that is why they had a howler with his departure to Chelsea at a young age.
Tottenham's current impressive academy marksman
The Lilywhites will now be hoping that their current U21 centre-forward – Jamie Donley – fulfills his potential and can emerge as a talent as valuable as Broja.
Postecoglou has handed him three appearances in the Premier League already this season and his record at youth level suggests that the quality is there for him to be a future star for the club.
The 19-year-old starlet has racked up an eye-catching six goals and 12 assists in 12 appearances for the club's U23s throughout the 2023/24 campaign.
Appearances
Three
Goals
Two
Assists
Three
Big chances created
Two
Key passes per game
3.3
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, Donley was on fire in the EFL Trophy earlier this season with his ability to both score and create goals as a centre-forward.
The teenage whiz, who scored 26 goals in 40 matches for Tottenham's U18s, has an impressive record in front of goal at youth level and is starting to be integrated into the first-team, with his three league cameos this term.
Spurs will now be hoping that Donley can progress and translate his incredible academy form over to the senior team in the coming months and years, so that they can forget all about the howler they had with Broja and uncover another star striker from the youth team.
