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Rico Henry might be Tottenham’s next Dele Alli

By Rucker Haringey

Jul 29, 2015; Denver, CO, USA; Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Dele Alli (20) plays the ball while defended by MLS All Stars defender Drew Moor (3) of the Colorado Rapids during the second half of the 2015 MLS All Star Game at Dick
Jul 29, 2015; Denver, CO, USA; Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Dele Alli (20) plays the ball while defended by MLS All Stars defender Drew Moor (3) of the Colorado Rapids during the second half of the 2015 MLS All Star Game at Dick /
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Paul Mitchell and Tottenham struck gold with a League One star last season with Dele Alli. Can they do it again this year with Rico Henry?

Fellow Tottenham fans stop me if you’ve heard this story before. Spurs are after a highly rated League One prospect who isn’t all that well-known, but Paul Mitchell and the rest of Spurs’ scouts believe can make a quick transition to the Premier League. They will look to target the prospect in an under-the-radar January transfer move.

Of course you’ve heard a story like this before. Last year it was the exact script that Paul Mitchell and Mauricio Pochettino used to land Dele Alli from MK Dons. He was purchased in January and was immediately loaned back to his League One club for the remainder of the season. Tottenham’s interest in Walsall left back Rico Henry appears to be following the same script.

Tottenham are reportedly in serious talks to sign the League One star and furthermore, are willing to pay “whatever it takes” to acquire the youngster before the likes of Arsenal get involved. The 18-year old left back is highly thought of by his club manager Adam Chambers, but the belief is that Walsall ownership realize they are powerless to keep their prized prospect.

Chambers describes Henry as the ideal two-way left back. He brags that the youngster is terrific in defense but also has the ability to run forward and contribute in attack. While Henry plays a different position than Dele Alli did last season for MK Dons, the descriptions of each player have a lot in common.

Both players were described as total footballers who were able to contribute in both defense and attack. Perhaps an even more telling commonality is that both of the players are described as prospects with an extreme self belief. This is a characteristic that is required if young players are going to be successful under Pochettino. His training regiments are known for being mental tests for all, so young players, in particular, must be mentally tough to survive them. That mental toughness that Dele Alli has, and Rico Henry is reported to possess, is what defines youngsters who are able to thrive under Pochettino.

This is the type of transfer that should really excited Spurs fans. Tottenham brought in Paul Mitchell to acquire young talent and he proved last year with the acquisition of Dele Alli that he can unearth stars in England’s lower leagues. The rumored transfer of Henry can’t help but remind you of the way the Alli transfer was completed last year. Both were starring in League One, but were identified by Mitchell and Spurs as high priority transfer targets. Tottenham moved in swiftly and decisively to get the Alli transfer done and it appears they’ll do the same with Henry.

Expecting Rico Henry to come to Tottenham and experience the immediate success that Alli has enjoyed certainly isn’t a reasonable expectation. However, if Henry can come in and do anything close to what Dele Alli has done before him then Tottenham is going to have another world-class young star on their hands.

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