If reports are true, Tottenham are about to do something that could leave Leeds fuming - TBR View

By Giuseppe Labellarte

Tottenham Hotspur could be about to do something that will really frustrate the likes of Leeds United.

According to i‘s Northern Notebook, Spurs are stepping up their scouting operations in Yorkshire and the North West.

The outlet claims Tottenham are interviewing for a new emerging talent scout primarily focusing on players between the age of 16-20.

And the focus is apparently on the sizeable patch that incorporates Leeds, Sheffield, Merseyside and Manchester.

In Thorp Arch, Leeds boast one of the top academies in the country. It has proven a conveyor belt of talent in recent years.

But based on i‘s report, the Whites could now have competition on their own turf from yet another big Premier League club.

The outlet deems this an ‘interesting new development in northern football recruitment’, regarding a ‘potential gold mine’ of talent.

“Things will fundamentally change”

British clubs have already seen their prospective talent pool shrink in wake of Brexit.

EU-based players now have to earn GBPE points through appearances and international credentials to play in England.

Leeds director of football Victor Orta criticised this issue, saying it’ll seriously limit the recruitment pool for big clubs.

Worse yet for the Elland Road outfit, Tottenham are not the only club widening their network in areas they might have traditionally left to rivals.

Brighton, Leicester and Wolves have reportedly also beefed up their scouting networks in the north.

They’ve also stepped up operations in Scotland and in parts of Ireland as they adapt to the new circumstances.

One recruitment specialist told i: “Clubs have been slow to adapt to the new rules. Partly because there was a real lack of clarity around the GBPE system until fairly recently.

“But now we are starting to see them pivot towards the UK and areas where they wouldn’t normally have applied an awful lot of resources, like South and Central America.

“Things will fundamentally change in the next few years.”