Marcus Edwards has left Tottenham to join Portuguese side Vitoria.
Spurs made the announcement via their official club website on Monday.
The 20-year-old was dubbed a “mini Messi” by manager Mauricio Pochettino back in 2016, as reported by The Mirror, but only managed one senior appearance for the club, making his bow in an EFL Cup match against Gillingham.
He has spent the last two seasons out on loan, first at Norwich City and then at Dutch side Excelsior Rotterdam, but will now leave his boyhood side on a permanent deal.
Is this the right move for Tottenham?
Sadly, the answer is probably yes.
Edwards was a precocious talent, no doubt about it, but over the last couple of years, when he should have been really kicking on and forcing his way into Pochettino’s plans, he has faltered and has ultimately sold himself short in the eyes of the manager.
His loan spell at Norwich City in 2017/18 was really the start off his troubles, and one six-minute cameo, followed by an early return to Spurs, set the tone for a period of underwhelming performances.
To be fair, it did look for a while as if Edwards might be turning things around in the Netherlands last term.
His average of 3.3 successful dribbles, plus 1.4 shots on goal and 1.1 key passes per match, as per Whoscored, looked impressive on paper, but a return of just two goals and four assists in 23 appearances, including 19 starts, was somewhat less awe-inspiring.
Why has he left now?
Twenty is by no means old, and Edwards could still ignite his career in Portugal and become something close to the player he promised to be, but in some respects, it does feel as if he may have missed the boat a little bit on his big break.
Certainly, you look at Spurs’ attacking lineup now and the players he would be competing with – Son Heung-min, Lucas Moura, Giovanni Lo Celso, Dele Alli, Erik Lamela – and he is still some way off of that standard.
Throw into the mix a summer swoop for Jack Clarke from Leeds United – two years younger and probably on about the same level – and it’s easy to see why Pochettino has cut his losses on Edwards.
Even this time last year, The Guardian reported that Edwards had felt his chance had come and gone, and things have only worsened for him since then.
It’s a shame to see things end like this, but it’s no real surprise.