Tottenham Hotspur youngster Alfie Devine has joined Belgian outfit Westerlo on a season-long loan deal, the Lilywhites have confirmed.
The 20-year-old's switch to the Jupiler Pro League is his third temporary move away from North London, following brief spells in the lower leagues with Port Vale and Plymouth Argyle last season.
After shining in League One with three goals and three assists in 26 games for Port Vale, Devine made 15 appearances for Plymouth in the Championship last season, setting up two goals.
The midfielder had already experienced a taste of senior football with Tottenham before his Port Vale and Plymouth loans, scoring on his debut in a 5-0 FA Cup win over Marine in January 2021 under Jose Mourinho.
That strike made Devine the youngest male player to ever score for Tottenham at 16 years and 163 days, breaking Dane Scarlett's record, but he has only made another one appearance for the senior side since.
The 20-year-old was an unused substitute in Spurs' recent 2-1 loss to Newcastle United in the Premier League and also earned minutes under Ange Postecoglou in pre-season, but he will now spend the rest of the campaign in Belgium.
Welcome Alfie! 👏🏼
— KVC Westerlo (@KVCWesterlo) September 5, 2024
👉🏼 https://t.co/hJcGNhNwMq pic.twitter.com/XicFE2o3oY
Devine will wear the number 10 shirt at Westerlo, where he links up with Croatian defender Luka Vuskovic, who is set to join Tottenham from Hajduk Split on a permanent deal in 2025.
The midfielder becomes the seventh senior Tottenham player to leave on loan this summer, following Bryan Gil, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Ashley Phillips, Alejo Veliz, Manor Solomon and Scarlett out of the door.
Could any other Tottenham players leave this month?
Postecoglou's summer clearout at Tottenham was a huge success, as the Lilywhites managed to permanently offload 10 players who had no future in North London, generating over £55m in transfer fees.
While Djed Spence - who was expected to leave in the most recent window - has unexpectedly turned his career around and will be given chances to prove himself, one full-back still sticks out like a sore thumb.
Sergio Reguilon is back in North London following mixed spells at Brentford and Manchester United in the 2023-24 season, but the Spaniard has been frozen out under Postecoglou and must surely leave in the coming days lest he risk a few months with no football.
Reguilon could join a club in Turkey, where the window is open until September 13, while teams in Greece can still bring in players until next Wednesday.
Ben Knapton
