Antonio Conte could have another Romelu Lukaku on his hands at Tottenham Hotspur as one of the academy’s brightest prospects continues to thrive out on loan.Kion Etete bagged his seventh goal of the season and his first for League One outfit Cheltenham Town just hours before Spurs’ remarkable win over Manchester City.After impressing at Northampton Town in the fourth tier, the 20-year-old gem was recalled and sent to a better level in a bid to prove his credentials to those in the first team.
Standing at a towering 6 foot 4, Etete would offer the Italian head coach plenty of physical attributes, something that we’ve regularly seen from some of his previous forwards in recent years, notably Lukaku, whose goals and contribution helped Conte land Inter Milan’s first Scudetto in over a decade.
“He has been out on a successful loan [with Northampton Town]. He’s 6 foot 4 inches, runs in behind, can hold it up, we think he’s a good young player, so we’re delighted to have him. He came on the radar in the summer but we weren’t quite sure he was ready for League One,” claimed Robins boss Michael Duff upon arrival.
Etete has also caught the eye of football.london reporter Alasdair Gold, who waxed lyrical about the Hotspur Way prospect to his YouTube channel recently.
“Kion Etete is doing superbly.
“If you weren’t aware, Kion – big lad, about 6 foot 3 inches, 20 years old, striker. [He] spent the first half of the season at Northampton, did very well – especially towards the end, you could see him coming on leaps and bounds, was getting goals and assists,” he said.
“I’d keep an eye on Kion Etete.
“He’s one who’s maybe going under the radar slightly, but I think I’ve always kind of felt with him – that his physical build, his stature, he’s a big guy – if he comes back and he’s had a cracking second half of the season at Cheltenham, Conte might have a little look at him in the summer.
“And he might think, you know what, he’s a different kind of option.”
This sort of presence is something that Conte currently lacks in his current senior squad and in their search for a new frontman this summer, the young academy starlet could well save chairman Daniel Levy and co several millions of pounds in the transfer market, too.
If Etete continues to impress in the EFL, then he’s surely worth a look in pre-season. Conte could well find his next Lukaku and that’s an appealing prospect alongside Harry Kane.
AND in other news, Spurs’ “explosive” £27m-rated gem hands Conte a huge headache after dream City display…
