OPINION
Georges-Kevin Nkoudou was given an unexpected chance to prove to Mauricio Pochettino that he could be a useful asset to Tottenham in the second half of the season against Crystal Palace on Sunday afternoon, but the Frenchman wasted it and now he must be offloaded by the Argentine.
The 23-year-old was drafted into the starting lineup for the first time this season as Spurs continue to struggle with a raft of injuries and absentees, and it was the ideal opportunity for him to show that he has what it takes to cut it at the top level.
After a fairly impressive cameo that resulted in an assist last weekend against Fulham, Nkoudou was chucked in at the deep end against the Eagles, but rather than flourishing, he floundered.
The low point of a lacklustre performance came when he missed two golden opportunities in a matter of seconds to drag Spurs back into the game, and his dire finishing highlighted exactly why he needs to be moved on.
Spurs may be short on options right now, but that just means that they have to make sure that their second string is even stronger, and at the moment the disparity in quality between the first team and the reserves is far too wide.
The former French youth international looked lost for large parts of the match, and when he did get on the ball, aside from a threatening turn of pace, he offered very little that could be deemed useful in an attacking sense.
Turkish outlet Takvim report that Besiktas are interested in taking him on loan for the rest of the season, and if Pochettino has any sense or ambition to raise the standard of his squad, he will sanction the move.