Spurs: Antonio Conte could unearth his next Nicolo Barella in Alfie Devine | OneFootball

Alfie Devine is a player who many in the know at Tottenham Hotspur expect to become the next big thing in north London.

Indeed, Jose Mourinho – who handed the attacking midfielder his senior debut in the 5-0 win over Marine back in January 2021, a game in which the youngster got himself on the scoresheet – appeared a very big fan of the 17-year-old, stating of Devine during his time as Spurs manager:

“He’s a kid with good potential. He’s basically a midfield player but with an instinct to appear in finishing zones and to score goals. We like him.”

Furthermore, Wigan Athletic’s former technical director, Peter Read, also heaped a considerable amount of praise on the teenager, stating of Devine’s time with the Latics:

“I remember the first time I saw him I just thought he had a bit of everything. He could handle the ball, hold off defenders, he had that determination. He’s always had that technical ability and has a great chance of reaching the top.”

Another who is clearly extremely excited about the potential of the teenager is Harry Brooks, an individual coach who worked previously with Devine, who said of the 17-year-old sensation:

“He’s such an all-rounder, a fantastic footballer. He’s just the whole package. The talent, the attitude, the ability to always turn it on. The tenacity, the aggression. When it comes to looking at that whole picture, he’s the best player in the academy. He could play for England one day.”

It is not difficult to understand why these assessments have been made of the midfielder, as, despite his tender age, the youngster has already been tearing it up for Wayne Burnett’s U23 side, scoring nine goals and registering three assists over his 15 Premier League 2 appearances this season.

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However, aside from his impressive form for Spurs, the £450k-rated dynamo has also started to catch the eye at international level, bagging England U19’s first in a 4-0 victory over Armenia U19s last weekend – brilliantly pulling a defender out of position with a dummy run, before latching onto a through ball and clinically slotting past the Armenian goalkeeper, as can be seen below:

And, Devine’s forward-thinking profile appears to match up rather well with one of Antonio Conte’s former midfield talents at Inter Milan – Nicolo Barella.

Indeed, over his 36 Serie A appearances last season, the £100m-rated Italy international played a crucial role in the 52-year-old’s Scudetto-winning side, scoring three goals, providing seven assists and creating nine big chances for his teammates, with these returns seeing the 25-year-old earn a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 7.11 – ranking him as Inter’s joint fifth-best performer in the top flight of Italian football.

As such, while the 17-year-old still has a way to go before he can claim to be on par with Barella, it would very much appear as if Devine possesses all the tools to become Conte’s next midfield maestro – something that is an extremely exciting prospect for Spurs.