"I don't think it is ever going to haunt Spurs" - Cardiff City, Ollie Tanner claim made after Tottenham transfer miss | OneFootball

FLW's Cardiff City fan pundit has given his view on whether Tottenham Hotspur will have regrets about not signing winger Ollie Tanner.

This article is part of Football League World’s 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Cardiff City have improved significantly since Omer Riza took caretaker charge in September following the sacking of Erol Bulut, and the performances of winger Ollie Tanner have been crucial to their upturn in form.

Tanner joined Cardiff from non-league side Lewes in the summer of 2022, and after a loan spell with National League outfit York City, he established himself in the first team last season.

The 22-year-old announced himself to the Bluebirds faithful in the perfect way as he scored the opening goal in his side's 2-0 home win over local rivals Swansea City last September, but it is fair to say he struggled to build on that standout moment.

Tanner was limited to largely substitute appearances at the start of this season under Bulut, but he has started all but one game under Riza, and he scored his second goal of the campaign in the 1-1 draw at Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday, matching his goal tally from the whole of last term.

The winger is currently one of Cardiff's most exciting prospects, but it could all have been so different if he had completed a move to Tottenham Hotspur six months before he made the switch to South Wales.

Tottenham agreed a deal to sign Tanner in January 2022 during his time at Lewes, but he failed to agree personal terms with the Premier League side, and the move subsequently collapsed.

When asked if he believes Tottenham will have any regrets over not signing Tanner, FLW's Cardiff City fan pundit Jack Price admitted they are unlikely to be too frustrated at missing out on the winger, and he questioned whether he will ever be good enough to play for a top Premier League side.

"That's an interesting one," Jack said.

"Firstly, I'm a massive fan of Tanner, I was very excited when we first signed him from Lewes and I think he's definitely vindicating his potential at Cardiff.

"I don't know just where his football ceiling is, I don't think he will ever be a top four Premier League player, that's obviously not a slight on Tanner, but if there was any chance of that happening, he wouldn't be at Cardiff right now.

"I don't think it'll haunt Spurs because I feel like they would have signed him, as a lot of these top clubs do, with a view to getting him out on loan, him impressing but probably never playing for the first team, and then being sold on for a profit.

"I don't think they'll regret it.

"I think, at his age, if he keeps up where he's at and refines his game further, he can play in the Premier League, hopefully with Cardiff.

"I don't think it is ever going to haunt Spurs, that would be my honest verdict, but he is kicking on nicely and we've got a real player on our hands.

"I'm glad he's receiving more opportunities this season, top player."

Ollie Tanner may regret Tottenham Hotspur decision

Given that Tanner has failed to deliver consistently in the Championship since his move to Cardiff, Jack is right that Tottenham are unlikely to be ruing the fact they did not complete a deal for him.

It was a bold decision for Tanner to turn down a move to Spurs, and given that Antonio Conte was in charge at the time, his game time would surely have been incredibly limited under the Italian.

However, current Tottenham head coach Ange Postecoglou is much more willing to give young players a chance, and he signed exciting talents such as Archie Gray, Wilson Odobert and Lucas Bergvall this summer, so Tanner may now have some regrets that he opted against joining the North London club.

After a frustrating campaign last season, Tanner is rapidly becoming an important part of the Bluebirds team under Riza, and if he can continue his development over the coming months, it may not be long until top flight clubs come calling for him once again.