TWTD understands that Tottenham youngster Massimo Luongo is amongst the players manager Paul Jewell is hoping to bring to Portman Road ahead of the start of the new season. The 19-year-old Australian midfielder is available on a season-long loan.
Sydney-born Luongo joined Spurs in January 2011 after impressing while on trial, having previously played for APIA Leichhardt Tigers in his homeland.
He made nine appearances for their U18s in the 2010/11 season, scoring three goals from central midfield, including one in a final day 2-1 defeat of the Blues.
By the beginning of last season he had impressed enough to make his senior debut as a 71st minute sub – and miss the decisive spotkick in a shoot-out – in a Carling Cup tie with Stoke.
Capped twice by Australia at U20 level and called into senior training camps, 5ft 9½in tall Luongo also qualifies to play for Italy, the nation of his father's birth, and Indonesia, where his mother was born.
Speaking last Thursday, manager Paul Jewell said that even before academy director Bryan Klug returned to Playford Road from Spurs last month, he already had good connections at White Hart Lane.
Jewell was yet to speak to Klug about potential targets who have come through the Tottenham academy, but was well aware of their youth players and has regularly spoken to the Premier League club: “I haven’t spoken to him about that yet.
“We have a decent relationship with Spurs, I know [assistant first-team coach] Tim Sherwood quite well at Tottenham and I’ve been in dialogue with him over the summer.
“I’m actually seeing [former Spurs manager] Harry Redknapp tomorrow [last Friday], so he might be telling me about one or two good players. I have seen quite a bit of Spurs’ academy players.”
Story syndicated from TWTD.co.uk