OPINION
Tottenham would make a big mistake by selling Marcus Edwards this summer.
The gifted but controversial young attacker could be heading on his way out of the new White Hart Lane in the forthcoming window despite making an increasingly good fist of his Excelsior Rotterdam loan.
According to Football London, Spurs are preparing to offload Edwards, 20, as Mauricio Pochettino is unlikely to regard him as ready to be a member of the first-team squad.
It is said the academy product will want regular game time and his parent club are set to listen to offers for a player who will have just a year remaining on his deal.
That would be an error. Edwards is a rare talent, a dribbler who can beat opponents with ease, cutting in from the right on his favoured left foot a la Mohamed Salah to cause mayhem to defences.
He has demonstrated a growing ability to fit into a team pattern at senior level this season, something that frustrated the coaches at Spurs, who felt he played for himself too much.
Pochettino has also questioned the work ethic and attitude of the player he once compared – foolishly – to Lionel Messi.
There are signs the wonderkid is now growing up. Edwards got another 90 minutes under his belt in the Dutch Eredivisie on Sunday as Excelsior Rotterdam lost 2-0 at home to PEC Zwolle.
He has now made 20 appearances for the Dutch outfit this season, 18 of which have been starts, scoring twice and laying on two assists.
Nothing earth-shattering in a division some way below the Premier League standard, but progress for a player trusted to start nine consecutive matches on the right wing.
Spurs must keep faith in Edwards, resist any offers (they would never get a bid of more than £5million for him, in any case) and give him the platform to make it at the club.
He is an unpolished gem, but has the potential to be a real diamond.