Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has reportedly initiated a scouting mission on 18-year-old Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Tyrese Hall.
The 2005-born lynchpin has started the 2023-24 season in terrific form for Tottenham's Under-18 squad, coming up with five goals and three assists from 15 games in the centre of the park.
Hall has gleaned experience as a number six and number eight in the current campaign and also made his debut for Spurs' Under-21s in an EFL Trophy clash with Cambridge United, which the Lilywhites lost 4-1.
From 12 starts in the Under-18 Premier League, Hall has had a direct hand in six goals - scoring three of his own while setting up three more - as Tottenham sit second in the South table, only behind West Ham United on goal difference.
The teenager's development in North London has allegedly attracted the attention of Guardiola, who has instructed representatives to keep a close eye on his progress, according to FootballTransfers.
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Hall - a former Chelsea academy prospect - penned his first professional contract with Tottenham in the summer of 2022, and Man City scouts were supposedly running the rule over the youngster when he turned out for the Under-21s against Aston Villa on January 27.
The 18-year-old contributed two assists to that 5-3 success over the Lions, and Tottenham are unsurprisingly keen to keep him on the books for the long-term.
However, the report adds that Tottenham are still fearful of the pull of the Premier League champions, and Hall may jump at the chance to learn under the wing of Guardiola.
With the Catalonian at the helm, academy prospects Phil Foden and Rico Lewis have risen through the Citizens ranks to become first-team regulars, and both started in the Citizens' midweek beating of Burnley.
While Spurs are fighting to keep hold of one promising youngster, they added another talented teenager to their ranks on Friday, signing Swedish sensation Lucas Bergvall for a reported £8.5m.
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Barcelona were ostensibly leading the race for Bergvall, but Tottenham hijacked the La Liga champions' move for the former Djurgardens IF starlet, who penned a five-and-a-half-year deal in North London until 2029.
Bergvall will remain in Sweden for the next few months before linking up with Tottenham in the summer, and Ange Postecoglou talked up the 18-year-old's qualities after Saturday's 2-2 draw with Everton.
"He's a very talented young man. Nice young man too, good family," the Tottenham head coach told Swedish media, as quoted by football.london.
"He's already had a really positive start to his career and we feel like this club will be good for him and he will be good for us. Obviously he'll be at his club for the remainder of this season and then he'll join us in the summer and I'm looking forward to having him as part of the group."
Tottenham return to action at home to Brighton & Hove Albion on February 10, while Manchester City will travel to the capital to face Brentford in Monday's Premier League offering.
Ben Knapton
