Tottenham Hotspur are well aware of the fruits that can be plucked from providing the youth with a chance to impress, after all, Harry Kane emerged from the academy ranks and is arguably the club's greatest-ever player.
The club's record goalscorer was sold to Bayern Munich this summer after many years of service, but despite his departure, the Ange Postecoglou era started with aplomb.
Indeed, the Australian manager took to the helm and orchestrated an emphatic rise to the top of the Premier League table before injuries and suspensions played a big part in inflicting successive losses on the London side.
Tottenham are still in a fantastic position in fourth place – just two points off leaders Manchester City – but the forthcoming winter transfer period suddenly looks far more daunting considering the deluge of absence that occurred several weeks ago.
While the Lilywhites are expected to be active during the January window, there is plenty of football to be played in the interim and some would say that Postecoglou's squad is bordering on threadbare.
As such, it might be wise to dip into the formative fold and unleash one or two of the most talented members of Wayne Burnett's development squad, with Jude Soonsup-Bell perhaps deserving of a call-up to the senior side.
Jude Soonsup-Bell's career in numbers
Soonsup-Bell had impressed in Chelsea's Cobham Academy but was allowed to leave and put pen to paper for a pre-contract agreement with Tottenham in January, with the Blues' bloated ranks precluding a pathway to the first-team for this young star.
It's reported that Chelsea instated a sell-on clause, but Spurs will now hope to nurture the teenage forward to prominence, and if his early exploits at the club are anything to go by then he could be set for an exceptional journey.
Joining Spurs despite interest from Manchester City, the 19-year-old made an uninspiring start to life in new colours across the latter phase of the 2022/23 campaign and scored twice from seven matches in the Premier League 2 as the focal frontman.
Described as a “handful” by Tottenham correspondent Alasdair Gold, the dynamo has been in sensational showing this term and has already netted eight goals and supplied four assists from just 12 matches, having found a new home at right wing.
Season
Tier
Apps
Goals
Assists
G/A Rate
23/24
PL 2
8
6
4
1.25
22/23
PL 2
14
4
1
0.36
21/22
PL 2
19
2
1
0.16
21/22
U18 PL
2
3
1
2.0
20/21
PL 2
9
1
0
0.11
20/21
U18 PL
16
14
0
0.87
*Sourced via Transfermarkt
His skills have also been bigged up by his older brother, who highlighted the attributes that will allow him to succeed on the major stage back in 2021: "Chelsea saw that he could score goals but contribute more to mould him quickly into a centre forward.
"He is athletic, as a No.9 should be, and he is quite tall and quick. But, for me, his best attribute is his intelligence both on and off the ball. He has the brain for the sport, with composure on the ball."
Spurs should be willing to provide this starlet with a chance to impress after such an impressive season so far, and should they do so, he might just surprise a few and wedge his way into the first-team reckoning with regularity.
Such a chain of events could even culminate with the Premier League outfit thinking twice about the interest in Barcelona player Raphinha, who has been reported to be of a vested interest.
Tottenham transfer news – Raphinha
According to Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo, Tottenham have entered the race to sign Raphinha in January, with the Brazilian winger not cutting the mustard in Catalonia.
Such claims are corroborated by Football Transfers, who revealed earlier this month that Postecoglou's side are even willing to drop their interest in Brentford striker Ivan Toney to prioritise the signing of the 26-year-old, who is valued at €70m (£61m).
Barcelona signed Raphinha from Leeds United for around £55m in 2022, but he has ebbed and flowed from form and is now on the transfer market.
Across 61 appearances, Raphinha has clinched 27 direct goal contributions but has only started three times in LaLiga this season, and while Spurs are intrigued by his availability, the question of whether he is actually worth the money does arise.
Why Tottenham shouldn't sign Raphinha
To be honest, whether Tottenham need to splash out £61m on a player who – is talented, sure – but is probably not an upgrade on Kulusevski is questionable.
Principally, focus needs to be directed toward the strengthening of the defence, with one eye also needed on the centre of the park, with Yves Bissouma and Pape Matar Sarr both off for the African Cup of Nations in January.
Kulusevski is clearly held in high regard by Postecoglou and has started all 12 of his club's Premier League matches this term, scoring three goals.
Not a ground-breaking return, but this does not paint the full picture. As per Sofascore, the Swede has been a bundle of energy down the right channel, completing 80% of his passes and averaging 2.0 key passes and 4.3 ball recoveries per game.
This is all a roundabout way of suggesting that Soonsup-Bell's promotion to the first team must be something for the Australian manager to consider.
The teenage talent has been in fantastic form since making the move to north London and could impress as Kulsuevski's understudy.
He's not the only exciting prospect at Tottenham, with Jamie Donley, in particular, looking to be one of the most exciting youngsters in English football, but for all of the 18-year-old's prodigious creativity – he has plundered six goals and 11 assists from 11 matches this term – he is preferred centrally and should not be considered given that Raphinha plies his trade out wide.
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That's not to say that strengthening the right wing would be unwise, more that Raphinha's exorbitant price tag is not something that chairman Daniel Levy should consider meeting.
With Soonsup-Bell's excellent rate of scoring evidencing a growth from U18 level to consistency in the Premier League 2, Spurs must now unleash him over the coming months to provide Postecoglou with the realisation that Raphinha's signature is not needed.