Tottenham repeat Arsenal's William Saliba trick to solve potential Ange Postecoglou problem

Tottenham look set to receive a boost when it comes to their homegrown Premier League numbers for the 2024/25 season. Having submitted their 25-man squad for the current season to the Premier League on Wednesday, Ange Postecoglou's list comprised of 17 non-homegrown and eight homegrown players.

First-team stars such as Pape Matar Sarr and Destiny Udogie were notable absentees from the 25-man party, however. The reason for their exclusion was due to the fact that both qualify as under-21 players and do not have to be included on the main list due to their age.

This is the last season they qualify as under-21 players, though, as for the 2024/25 season under-21 players will have had to be born on or after January 1, 2003. Sarr celebrated his 21st birthday on Thursday, with Udogie turning 21 on November 28.

In terms of Sarr, from next season he will be able to be classed as a homegrown player despite the fact he was born in Thiaroye, Senegal. Premier League League rules state: «A „Home Grown Player“ means a player who, irrespective of nationality or age, has been registered with any club affiliated to The Football Association or the Football Association of Wales for a period, continuous or not, of three entire seasons, or 36 months, before his 21st birthday (or the end of the season during which he turns 21).»

Signed from Metz in the summer of 2021, this is now Sarr's third season as a Tottenham player. Although he did return to the French club on a season-long loan deal immediately after his move to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, he was still included as an under-21 player on their submitted list for the 2021/22 campaign.

Featuring on the list again in 2022/23 and now this season, the Senegal international will be classed as