Notts County Surely Have Regrets Over Transfer Of 23-Year-Old Forward To Tottenham Hotspur

Notts County must surely be kicking themselves over their 2019 deal to sell youth academy product Kion Etete to Tottenham Hotspur.

The young striker had made just five senior appearances as a 16-year-old for Notts before he left the club for a big Premier League switch.

The Magpies received a fee believed to be in the region of £200,000 for his services and, while this was welcome money at the time, they could have earned themselves a significantly bigger payday if they had held onto him and allowed him to develop.

At the time of Etete’s sale, the world’s oldest football club found themselves in a relegation battle at the foot of League Two, as well as being embroiled in issues off the pitch.

It may have seemed like the correct decision at the time, but looking back, they should have held onto their homegrown talent for another couple of seasons at least.

Notts County never got to see the best of Kion Etete due to his age

When Etete first broke into the first team as a 16-year-old at Meadow Lane, the Magpies were locked in a relegation battle at the foot of League Two.

Harry Kewell’s side had notched just three wins from their opening 15 league games by the time the striker made his senior league debut, in what was a difficult environment for a young and inexperienced player to walk into.

Nevertheless, Etete received praise from Kewell following his debut, with the Australian boss describing the youngster as “excellent” after he came on for the final 20 minutes of a 2-2 draw at Port Vale.

The frontman made just three further league appearances all season, as Notts’ struggles continued.

The Nottingham outfit were ultimately relegated at the end of the season, losing their Football League status for the first time in their then-157-year history.

With relegation confirmed and the club fighting for its very existence off the pitch, Etete was sold to Tottenham in the summer of 2019.

The striker followed in the recent footsteps of Dongda He and Jack Bearne in moving to a Premier League side (Wolves and Liverpool respectively) after graduating through Notts’ academy.

With the club’s precarious position behind the scenes, it is likely that Etete was sold out of necessity. Had the Magpies had more security over their future, they surely would have held onto the youngster for another few years and had the possibility of netting a bigger fee further down the line.

Kion Etete has gone on to become a capable striker in the EFL – could Notts County have held onto him for longer?

Since Etete’s departure from Meadow Lane, he arguably hasn’t gone on to have the career that many would have expected.

While he didn’t have much opportunity to show what he could do in NG2, whenever a player breaks through to play first-team football at the age of 16, they are clearly a very promising talent.

After notching nine goals and three assists in just 21 games in the PL2 in 2020/21, Etete spent the following campaign out on loan in the Football League.

First, he spent time in League Two with Northampton Town, before stepping up to the third tier with Cheltenham, where he hit three goals and two assists in 13 games.

The 6ft 4in forward then joined Cardiff City for a fee believed to be in the region of £500,000 ahead of the 2022/23 season, bringing his spell at Tottenham to a close before he had managed to make a senior appearance.

While has never been a prolific goalscorer, Etete has become a useful option for the Bluebirds in recent years, but has made just a sole appearance in the FA Cup this season after struggling with a hamstring injury.

The frontman signed a new deal in South Wales back in January, and is currently out on loan at Bolton in League One.

While Etete’s career so far perhaps hasn’t lived up to expectations since he left Notts, they must surely regret the fact they sold him so cheaply.

That decision was arguably indicative of a period of mismanagement at the club, which ultimately saw them lose their EFL status.