Roberto De Zerbi leaned heavily on Tottenham Hotspur’s promising crop of academy graduates on their pre-season tour of New Zealand and Australia, but he reserved the most glowing compliment for Luca Williams-Barnett.

“We have to manage him like a precious diamond,” he told reporters in a press conference after Tottenham’s 1-1 draw with Sydney FC (4-2 on penalties). “We have to help him improve in the last decision. Physically, (he needs to) work harder to become stronger, because in this time of football, he needs to be strong. And to give him space when there is the right moment. I usually give time to all the young players I work with in my career, and he is potentially a special player.”

As a former No 10 himself, it’s not hard to see why De Zerbi was so taken by the maverick playmaker. Minutes earlier, the Italian selected the 17-year-old to take the first penalty of the shootout, a responsibility he shouldered with unflinching ease. In his first spot kick for the senior team, he casually dinked his shot down the middle of the goal. As his team-mates on the halfway line looked to each other as if to say, ‘Of course he did,’ Williams-Barnett walked back with a smirk. Perhaps there is no finer expression of his talent and swagger than that.

Luca Williams-Barnett from the spot 🥶 pic.twitter.com/ODw3NcHrIB

— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) July 29, 2026

This pre-season, Williams-Barnett has spent the entire summer with De Zerbi and the first team — another step on a hopeful and exciting journey. His first outing came from the bench in a 1-0 win against MK Dons, where he set social media alight with a couple of delightful passes from his preferred advanced midfield position to Richarlison and Yang Min-hyeok.

Then came the tour, where De Zerbi made his “special player” comment, followed by his first unofficial goal for the first team in a 2-2 draw with Bundesliga side Hoffenheim at Hotspur Way, casually opening his body to finish first time into the far corner.

Luca finishes off a fine move ✨ pic.twitter.com/b2hVHH1mpj

— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) August 16, 2026

But while his stock has increased rapidly over pre-season, the excitement is not new. Williams-Barnett made his under-18s debut aged just 15, and the following year he won the Under-18s Premier League’s goal of the season award for a spectacular halfway-line strike against Leicester City, the second occasion in as many weeks that he had lobbed the goalkeeper from 50 yards.

@premierleague Luca Williams-Barnett’s effort from the halfway line wins the #U18PL Goal of the Season 🤩 #PremierLeague @spursofficial ♬ MONTAGEM CONTIGO – Repsaj

Last season with the under-21s was interrupted by injuries, but he still registered six goals and five assists in 10 Premier League 2 appearances. In the season’s early months, he was the attacking star of Tottenham’s run in the UEFA Youth League, scoring five times in their 9-1 demolition of Slavia Prague before they were eliminated in the first knockout stage in February by Real Betis.

He was also handed England’s No 10 shirt for the Under-17 World Cup in Qatar in November, where he scored one of the goals of the tournament, slaloming through the Haiti defence before finishing between the goalkeeper’s legs. As he wheeled away in celebration, team-mate Bendito Mantato, who made his Premier League debut for Manchester United last season, was pictured watching on with his hands clasped on top of his head in disbelief.

A couple of months before, Williams-Barnett had become the 900th player to represent Tottenham’s first team, coming on as a late substitute in a 3-0 Carabao Cup win over Doncaster Rovers. It was a happy coincidence to some degree, though Spurs and previous head coach Thomas Frank were aware of the milestone. Frank was keen to place his debut in context, describing it as a “very important” first step on a “very tough” journey.

In an interview with club media after the game, Williams-Barnett recognised the difference in physicality and intensity, saying, “It felt very fast, because I’m so used to the under-21s, but yeah, they’re very quick.” He would become a fixture on the bench in the Champions League as Frank looked to make up the numbers, but he did not feature again for the first team as injuries sidelined him for much of the second half of the season as Spurs narrowly avoided relegation.

So while pre-season has provided a platform for Williams-Barnett to showcase his immense talent, Frank’s previous attempts to apply the brakes of the hype train, De Zerbi’s statement that he must be “managed” carefully like a “precious diamond” and Williams-Barnett’s own testimony that the intensity is so much higher in men’s football, even against third-tier opposition, indicates his exposure to consistent first-team football may be a slower burn than some fans might hope or expect.

Spurs fans may need to be patient as Williams-Barnett adapts to the physicality of first-team football (Phil Walter/Getty Images)

Time might not be a luxury afforded to De Zerbi. The protracted transfer saga involving Manchester City forward Savinho and a minor injury to James Maddison, which limited his involvement in pre-season, could put Williams-Barnett in the frame to contribute sooner than planned. Should he earn another opportunity to feature for the first team in the season’s opening weeks, with Tottenham’s second-round Carabao Cup tie against Charlton Athletic next Wednesday potentially a window, it will be another important step forward on a journey that started when he joined Tottenham’s academy from Luton Town as an under-10.

A year after he joined, Williams-Barnett was introduced to Spurs fans in a clip that resurfaces on social media whenever he produces a moment of magic. As part of a video in which Spurs stars drove academy players to training, an 11-year-old Williams-Barnett was paired with Lucas Moura, months after he scored a match-winning hat-trick in the Champions League semi-final second leg against Ajax.

Williams-Barnett asked Lucas if he had tips for him, to which the Brazilian responded, “The best advice I can give you is never to give up. Always give your best, every day, every time. And, for your life, never get tired of doing good things for people. To be a gentleman.”

Coming off an exciting pre-season, those words of wisdom from Moura, a 37-time Brazil international with experience of playing in the biggest games for club and country, should serve as a useful reference point as his profile continues to grow.

There is star-in-the-making quality about Sean Steur.

Everyone at Newcastle United is understandably desperate to avoid hype building around the 18-year-old, yet the buzz Steur is generating will prove hard to contain should he make a positive early impression on English football.

That is partly down to the player himself, because rather than plead patience as he transitions to the Premier League, he has the self-belief that, should Matthias Jaissle opt to start him against Liverpool on Sunday, Steur would not be daunted. He would back himself to deliver.

Those inside Newcastle are urging caution and are rightly trying to protect a teenager who has barely played a season of senior football and has moved to a new country and a new league. But the way he demands possession, his desire to play forward and his Ajax-generated swagger and style on the field cannot help but engender excitement among supporters.

Despite Newcastle’s post-takeover gross spending edging towards almost £1billion ($1.4bn) on signings, the only teenage addition who proved more expensive was Lewis Hall, who cost £28m from Chelsea in 2024 (after an initial loan).

Hall was raw and had made only 12 senior appearances, though intra-Premier League transfers come with a premium. Steur had only made 19 Eredivisie appearances for Ajax (14 starts) but Eddie Howe and Newcastle’s recruitment team had seen enough to commit a fee in the region of €25m (£21.4m, $29m) on the Dutchman.

Howe brought Steur to the club (Photo: Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

Newcastle liked what Steur already is, but they were utterly convinced by what Steur could become.

In a post-Bruno Guimaraes world, Newcastle are searching for a new talisman. In time, that may prove to be Steur — though the Brazilian midfielder’s exit has potentially expedited the process.

There are parallels between Guimaraes and Steur stylistically, with both keen to receive possession under pressure and get their team moving forwards, while neither is the quickest when it comes to sprinting. Yet Steur, like Guimaraes, covers ground well and has the engine to sustain that throughout 90 minutes. The Dutchman’s footballing IQ has also been noted by recruitment specialists across Europe.

Ideally, Newcastle hoped Guimaraes would remain at St James’ Park for at least another season or two, continuing to be the team’s creative spark in the middle and their leader, too. Steur learning from Guimaraes, watching the Brazil international in training and eventually emulating him seemed like an ideal proposition.

Bruno Guimaraes will be tough to replace (Photo: Stu Forster/Getty Images)

But events have altered the blueprint, and that is why Steur qualifies as Newcastle’s likely breakthrough player for the upcoming campaign, even if he has only just joined. The Dutchman looks better placed than any Newcastle under-21 player — with the exception of Mason Miley, the 17-year-old younger brother of Lewis who impressed throughout pre-season — to claim regular minutes.

Jaissle is looking to bring in an experienced midfielder to succeed Guimaraes, with Manchester City’s Nico Gonzalez a clear target, which should alleviate some of the expectation on Steur.

With Jaissle requiring two deep midfield options — and Joelinton out for at least a fortnight with a muscular injury and Lewis Miley having only managed 45 minutes throughout pre-season as he recovers from a broken leg — Steur may find himself primed for game time early in 2026-27.

Those who have worked with Steur almost universally cite his maturity. He is 18 going on 25, they say, and Newcastle were comfortable putting Steur up for interview after his non-competitive debut at Gateshead last month.

Steur is also single-minded and relentlessly driven. He has his sights set on reaching the very top, and Newcastle convinced him they should be an important step along the way.

David Hopkinson’s “Newcastle United 2.0”, which he outlined to The Athletic earlier this month, has player trading built into the model and their aim is to unearth the next generation of world-class players. Should Steur develop as projected on Tyneside, then he will either achieve his ambitions with Newcastle — as those inside the club hope — or be sold for a significant profit.

A false narrative has emerged that Howe was not heavily involved in Newcastle’s early-summer transfer plans. The desire to acquire younger players may have been a club-led strategy, but those brought in were with Howe’s say-so.

Howe was definitely taken with Steur, even if the former head coach felt the midfielder would need to physically bulk up to consistently run games in the Premier League — and may take up to two seasons to adapt.

According to sources close to the player, speaking anonymously to protect relationships, an early-summer meeting with Howe in London proved crucial in persuading Steur to move to Tyneside. Andy Howe, the senior football executive, had presented an exciting pitch to Steur and his camp, while Ross Wilson, the sporting director, re-emphasised how Newcastle would look to develop the midfielder.

There was interest from clubs in Italy, Germany, France and the Premier League, yet Steur was intrigued by Newcastle’s proposal. He was further enthused by Eddie Howe outlining what he saw in his game and what could be improved, with particular emphasis upon his tendency to seek forward-playing solutions and be brave in possession.

Once Howe saw Steur on the training field, his impressions were validated. Howe told his close associates Steur “has everything” and would become a “top player”.

Howe’s departure, therefore, came as a shock to Steur, who had partly made his decision based upon their conversations. However, Jaissle’s stylistic footballing similarities and the German’s keenness for his deep-lying midfielders to be bold and capable of playing upfield swiftly, with precision, means Steur may have found continuity of sorts.

Jaissle’s approach might still suit Steur (Photo: Abdullah Ahmed/Getty Images)

While Howe believed Steur was capable of playing as a No 6 or as a No 8 in his 4-3-3 system, under Jaissle the Dutchman has featured prominently as part of the double pivot in a 4-2-3-1. Jaissle likes his centre-halves to split and for one of his No 6s to move deep and almost create a back three during build-up play, something Steur has looked comfortable doing.

Steur’s passing accuracy can improve, even if there will always be a risk-reward element to his distribution given his willingness to try and break lines. Physically, Steur may find the Premier League challenging in the short-to-medium term, given his age and frame; his body needs to develop, and he has to become accustomed to the muscular nature of English football.

But the raw attributes are there for the Dutchman to become a star. That is why Newcastle invested so heavily in the teenager, and also why they are so keen to douse the ever-growing expectations.

Too much should not be expected of Steur too soon, though do not try telling that to the midfielder himself.

Trey Nyoni sat in the stands alongside the man who has seen every step of his development.

England Under-19s had just beaten Portugal 6-0 in Braga and Nyoni’s father was one of only a handful of parents who had stuck around to see it.

After a long international camp away from family and three Euros qualifiers, a few minutes in person to debrief the performance and look to the future were clearly well received by the midfielder, who was excellent on the day.

The hope back then, at the end of March, with Liverpool still in the FA Cup and Champions League, was that before the end of the campaign, Nyoni would get another opportunity to shine. Having not started a senior game in five months, he returned to Merseyside with a spring in his step after three Under-19 outings.

But the closing 10 games of the season would bring little joy, and instead it was fellow under-19 team-mate, Rio Ngumoha, who benefited from an end-of-season boost.

Nyoni with friend and team-mate Rio Ngumoha (Michael Regan/Getty Images)

While Ngumoha thrived as he made eight appearances, including three starts, before becoming the most talked-about player in a friendly for the England senior team against New Zealand before the World Cup, Nyoni was given just nine minutes of action, with seven of those arriving in the final game of the season.

His 14 appearances across the campaign were an improvement on the five outings he made the season before, but nowhere near enough to build any momentum. Apart from two starts in the Carabao Cup early in the season, Nyoni was largely restricted to late cameos in the closing minutes of games.

With Champions League qualification in the balance until the final game of the season, perhaps it was not a surprise that former head coach Arne Slot stuck with his senior players to get over the line, although the alternative view is that a refresh in midfield — when legs were clearly tiring — may have given the team a new lease of life.

A host of Championship clubs and multiple others across Europe contacted Liverpool to discuss a loan in January, but Nyoni was needed as cover.

Tyler Morton, the midfielder who moved to Lyon and enjoyed a stunning first season in France, fell into the same category a year earlier before he took the plunge and left Anfield after a couple of successful temporary moves.

It was expected that Nyoni would listen to loan offers this summer and wait for Liverpool’s guidance, but the situation has changed. No longer is a temporary move under consideration as he focuses on making an impact at Liverpool. The alternative of considering a new project elsewhere has also cooled in recent weeks after an impressive summer.

If there’s any player who has benefited from the pre-season period, it’s Nyoni. New head coach Andoni Iraola said after the U.S. tour, where the 19-year-old was the standout performer: “Even when he has one opponent quite close, he asks for that ball and he’s confident, he doesn’t rush. For me, that is very valuable.”

Nyoni has had an impressive pre-season (KAMIL KRZACZYNSKI / AFP via Getty Images)

Iraola admires his playing style but whether that translates into more game time — which Nyoni now needs — remains to be seen. Other clubs had signalled they were willing to offer the platform for regular minutes, but his immediate future remains at Liverpool and the first half of this season will be crucial.

The context around Nyoni is also important as it helps explain the position he found himself in this summer.

Yes, he only recently turned 19, and it’s a lot to expect a young man to step up and control the midfield for Liverpool. As a player with a slight figure, he’s also had to work hard on building up his body to match his undeniable technical qualities.

But playing just 21 minutes in the Premier League last season was hardly a convincing pathway for a deeper run in the future. When Nyoni last met up with England Under-19s, he played in midfield alongside Harrison Armstrong and Chris Rigg, both of whom played more often for Everton and Sunderland last season.

Arsenal’s Max Dowman also played for longer across the campaign and he missed half of it through injury. Even Chelsea’s Jesse Derry, who has since joined Sporting CP on loan for the season, played more Premier League minutes.

In a short space of time, so much has been said about Nyoni, first by Jurgen Klopp, who gave him his debut after Liverpool signed him from Leicester City in 2023, then Slot, and of course those working behind the scenes. Now, though, it’s his time to shine, whether that’s for Liverpool or elsewhere.

That Iraola wants him to stick around is a good sign. He’s a confident, progressive passer who can sit in front of the defence and play an important role in the build-up of attacks. With Curtis Jones in discussions to leave for Inter, there’s an opportunity to move up the pecking order and spend more time on the pitch.

His experience of training with senior international team-mates for the past two years has also helped his progress and his steady rise is now ready for lift-off.