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De Zerbi says exciting Tottenham youngster is closing in on a Premier League debut

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Published Sep 18, 2026, 5:10 PM GMT+1

Ben is an experienced sports journalist and senior editor at Football FanCast, specialising in transfer reporting, Premier League coverage and football analysis. He graduated with a Master's degree in Sports Journalism in 2017.

Ben has written for publications including the Liverpool Echo and the Lincolnshire Echo. Throughout his career, he has covered a range of sports, from American football to mixed martial arts, but his primary passion has always been football journalism.

Since joining Football FanCast in 2018, initially as a freelance writer covering clubs across the English football pyramid, Ben has established himself as one of the publication's leading transfer reporters. His expertise lies in assessing the credibility of transfer stories, analysing what they mean for clubs and supporters, and providing context behind football's biggest talking points. Along the way, he has built an extensive network of trusted sources across the football industry that strengthens both his reporting and editorial insight.

Today, Ben leads Football FanCast's news team as Senior Editor, overseeing the publication's football coverage while helping shape its editorial standards, transfer reporting and analysis.

Tottenham head to Villa Park on Saturday still chasing a first Premier League win and first Premier League goal of the season.

It's a run that's inevitably become a talking point around the club after another defeat in midweek in the League Cup - albeit at least one in which Conor Gallagher found the back of the net - and De Zerbi was asked directly whether there is calmness internally about the issue in his pre-match press conference.

"I don't know but what I understood is I think so. Any way I go forward with the players and I think it is not right to explain the reason why I think we didn't start in the best way," he explained.

Tottenham Hotspur manager Roberto de Zerbi before the match

"There are many, many reasons but it is not the right place to explain. Just to take the responsibility, just to take the responsibility where we have to improve and nothing more."

There was better news on the injury front, as the Italian confirmed Pedro Porro, Sandro Tonali and James Maddison are all available for selection against Villa.

He also gave an encouraging update on Dejan Kulusevski, hinting the Swede could be closing in on a full return to fitness after the upcoming international break.

"We have to manage Deki in the best way we can, with the medical staff, physical staff. But it's a great thing for us because he's a good player, he's a good guy. He deserves to play again.

"We have to work day by day. Also, for Deki, it's important the international break, because when he will be at the top of condition and pass over the injury, I think it's a great signing, a new signing for us, another new signing."

De Zerbi was also quizzed about the fitness of 17 year-old Luca Williams-Barnett, and the response suggested a first Premier League appearance might not be far away.

Williams-Barnett close to Premier League debut

Williams-Barnett has already had a taste of first-team football this season, featuring in the League Cup against Charlton, but is yet to make his top flight debut.

"Yes I have a big consideration because he is a good player and he is a potential top player," De Zerbi admitted ahead of Villa.

"We have to understand when is the best situation for him and for the team also. It is a different job to manage the young, young player and especially when this young player is a potential top player because you can't put them in the bad condition or bad situation, but also you can't forget of them.

"I didn't forget about Luca, like Malachi (Hardy), but we have to find the right moment."

Williams-Barnett looked set for another opportunity against Liverpool before a small injury ruled him out, but he did return to the bench for the Under-21s this week and is now firmly back in contention.

Part of what makes Williams-Barnett such an intriguing prospect is his versatility across the Tottenham academy pathway, having featured in six different positions across his youth career so far.

Position

Apps

Goals

Assists

Attacking Midfield	31	23	19
Central Midfield	5	8	1
Right Winger	3	1	1
Left Winger	3	1
Centre-Forward	2	3
Left Midfield	2

His form in the number ten role offers De Zerbi a serious boost. Speaking on Maddison's return, the manager explicitly mentioned the importance of having a true playmaker behind the striker, saying he's "very happy" to have options there again.

With Maddison now back among those options and Williams-Barnett pushing for a recall in that exact role, Tottenham suddenly find themselves with depth and competition in a position which will prove crucial in solving their goalscoring woes.

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