Tottenham have joined the chase for Sonny Perkins, who has left West Ham United after rejecting a contract offer at the London side.
According to the Daily Mail, Tottenham have joined the chase for one of English football’s exciting youngsters Sonny Perkins. The England Under-18 star is available on a free transfer after rejecting a contract offer from West Ham United, while Aston Villa and Leeds United are also in pursuit.
Sonny Perkins’ future has been a subject of intense debate for the last few months, and the young forward has decided against signing a new deal with West Ham United. The decision leaves him as a free agent, with plenty of high-profile suitors chasing his signature.
Perkins joined the West Ham academy from Leyton Orient and has since gone on to shine with their reserve team, scoring 12 times in 23 appearances last term. David Moyes decided to integrate the 18-year-old into his senior setup, letting him feature in three games.
The young forwards featured twice as a substitute in the Europa League group stage clashes against Rapid Vienna and Dinamo Zagreb. Subsequently, Perkins made the bench for their next four games in the competition but failed to get more minutes.
Moyes gave Perkins his Premier League debut by playing the striker in the dying minutes of a loss against Leeds United. The Whites are incidentally chasing the forward along with Aston Villa.
The reasons for not signing with the Hammers remain unclear, although it could be connected with the promise of regular first-team action starting next season. Leeds or Villa could provide more guarantees of playing minutes with the senior squad than the Hammers.
Meanwhile, Tottenham have entered the chase for the exciting young forward, as the club are keen on bolstering their youth squads so that they can produce stars for the first team from within the ranks. If he is to join Spurs, Perkins will get the opportunity to remain in London.
At Spurs, he could also train with and learn from one of the best forwards in the Premier League in Harry Kane. So while he will find it challenging to get game-time even in cup games or sporadically in Champions League group stage games, it could be a good platform for the striker to develop in north London.
However, if he desires a faster route to first-team football, a move to Leeds or Aston Villa could be the better option for Perkins. In any case, whoever gets the forward, will have one of English football’s most exciting teenagers within their ranks, as the 18-year-old has shown great promise and can grow into a top forward in the future.