‘The future for Tottenham’: Antonio Conte suggests 19-year-old could be a huge player for Spurs in the coming years

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Tottenham Hotspur boss Antonio Conte has suggested to Football London that Pape Matar Sarr could become a massive player for the club in the coming years. 

Sarr made his long-awaited debut for Spurs on Wednesday as he was substituted on at half-time in a pre-season game against Team K-League. He even took to Twitter yesterday to show his pride in making his first appearance.

Speaking in a press conference today, Conte said that the teenager is the future of the club and that he sees him as a prospect for further down the line. 

He said: “He’s a young player. Good prospect. Will be the future for Tottenham. We have Sarr and other young players and we will try with the club to take the best decision for them.

“It will be very important to take the best decision about whether to stay at Tottenham or go out on loan and play with regularity.”

Sarr joined Spurs last summer as he made the switch from FC Metz for a fee in the region of £14.6 million (Sky Sports). But he was then sent back to the French outfit on a season-long loan.

The Senegal international had a fairly successful season at Metz as he played 34 times for the club, scoring once and assisting three times. But the club were relegated after losing 5-0 to Paris Saint Germain on the last day of the season.

The Italian clearly rates Sarr and he’s not alone as Spurs transfer guru, Fabio Paratici, previously labelled him ‘one of the most talented’ youngsters in Europe. But it may be the case that he has to bide his time and look to break into the team after he has gained more experience.

TBR’s View: Sarr needs a loan as Spurs’ central midfield options are stacked

It may be for the best if Sarr heads back out on loan this season as he will struggle to break into Spurs’ midfield. Conte has many options in the squad for the position and can call on players like Oliver Skipp, Yves Bissouma, Piere-Emile Hojbjerg and Rodrigo Bentancur.

But at just 19, Sarr has plenty of time to go out and gain experience with the view of coming back to try to break into the Tottenham team. He’s clearly rated by Conte, but it may be too early for him to stake a claim for a place in his side.