With their qualification for the Champions League this season, Tottenham had to have a squad that was capable of challenging in two important competitions.
Whether they have managed to achieve that remains to be seen, but they do have a few players who haven’t been able to get a starting place with the regularity that they need to aid their development.
We look at two players that could benefit from a move away from White Hart Lane to fulfil their potential.
Cameron Carter-Vickers
He has been hailed as the finest central defensive youngster to come through the Spurs academy since Ledley King, which is a huge tag to live up to!
The young American is just 18 but is built like a heavyweight boxer and is clearly ready for the physical demands of Premier League football.
And he is a young player that Pochettino clearly rates very highly. He played him in all of the clubs pre-season games, including fixtures against Atletico Madrid, Juventus and Inter Milan.
But he has been limited to starts in the League cup, and with the remarkable pairing of Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen currently occupying the first team places, and Kevin Wimmer and Eric Dier ahead of him in the pecking order, it is unlikely he will see much more first team football this season.
So as Tottenham are now out of the League Cup, a loan move to a Championship or even Premier League club in the January window would be an excellent move for his development.
He has recently been called up to the full US national team, so there is unlikely to be a lack of interest from clubs if he were to be made available for loan. With a move to the right club, the young American could come back to Tottenham more equipped to challenge for a first-team spot next season.
Josh Onomah
Again, another player that should look for a loan away from White Hart Lane to aid his development as a player.
Pochettino has plucked him from the Academy and has been giving him minutes here and there as he looks to acclimatise him to first team football.
However, it is quite clear that the youngster doesn’t quite have the confidence to affect a game at this level. He has shown little flashes of his quality, but he doesn’t look like he feels he really belongs at this level.
He has represented England at every level and is clearly highly thought of. Again, he is a player that would attack a lot of interest, particularly at Championship level. The most value that he could gain at this stage of his career is to be playing week in week out.
For some reason, Pochettino doesn’t seem to trust the loan system, instead of wishing to work with his players in training. But Onomah would really benefit in confidence from a loan move, and it could be the turning point in his career.