Tottenham Hotspur are preparing to send teenage attacker Mikey Moore out on loan once again, with Bundesliga side Koln currently in the strongest position to secure his signature for the upcoming season.
The move comes as something of a surprise given how well the 18-year-old has performed in pre-season training under new head coach Roberto De Zerbi. Despite those encouraging displays, Tottenham and those around Moore have concluded that a further loan spell away from north London represents the smartest path for his continued growth.
Moore built significant momentum last season during a loan spell at Rangers, scoring seven goals in Glasgow and picking up the PFA Scotland Young Player of the Year award. That achievement was made more notable by the fact that he had to work through a difficult opening period at Ibrox before establishing himself as a key contributor. His displays north of the border were enough to convince De Zerbi to give him a genuine look during Tottenham's summer preparations.
Although Rangers would welcome the chance to bring Moore back for another campaign, the player and his camp are said to favor a switch to one of Europe's five major leagues instead. Middlesbrough had also shown interest, hoping to pair him with former Tottenham academy product Will Lankshear, who joined the Championship play-off finalists in a £20million deal, but that option now appears unlikely given Moore's ambitions.
Borussia Dortmund were the first Bundesliga club to make contact, but Tottenham quickly cooled that interest after the German club asked for an option to buy Moore as part of any loan agreement. That stance has not put off other suitors, however, with Koln and Hamburg both continuing to push for his signature, while interest has also been registered from clubs in Spain's La Liga.
Over the past few days, Koln have stepped up their efforts significantly, and that intensified pursuit has made them the clear favorites to land the young forward. Tottenham will also be mindful of how a similar arrangement worked out for another of their academy graduates, defender Luka Vuskovic, who impressed on loan at Hamburg last season before completing a permanent £52million transfer to Brighton this summer. That precedent has strengthened belief within the club that a testing loan spell in Germany could accelerate Moore's development in a similar fashion.
Moore's departure, once finalized, is expected to be followed by fresh attacking additions at Tottenham, with De Zerbi dropping hints about further incoming signings during the club's pre-season tour of New Zealand and Australia. Manchester City winger Savinho remains a long-term target for Spurs, while Liverpool forward Cody Gakpo has also been identified as a priority as the north London club continues an ambitious summer rebuild.
Tottenham have already made bold moves in the transfer market this window, breaking their club record fee on two separate occasions to bring in midfielders Sandro Tonali from Newcastle United and Mateus Fernandes from West Ham United. Those deals underline the scale of the changes taking place at the club under its new manager, even as promising young talents like Moore are sent out to continue gaining experience elsewhere.
Based on reporting from The Independent.