Tottenham Battle Bayer Leverkusen for PSG Wonderkid Who Rejected Pro Deal | OneFootball

Paris Saint-Germain have an amazing youth academy that has resulted in Warren Zaire-Emery and Senny Mayulu making contributions in recent years. Still, not every player will get this opportunity and might need to head for greener pastures.

Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly in a two-horse race to sign promising PSG center-back Axel Tape, who’s set to leave the club as a free agent this summer.

The 17-year-old made his debut under Luis Enrique in January, starting a Coupe de France win over Espaly, and has also featured in five matchday squads across Ligue 1 and the Champions League.

Tape has been one of the standout performers for PSG’s Under-19s this season, scoring three goals in 11 games and proving he can make an impact going forward despite being a defender.

Is PSG’s youth talent heading abroad?

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Although he’s still on the books as a youth player in Paris, journalist Fabrice Hawkins, via SportsMole, reports that Tape has rejected the chance to sign his first professional deal with the Champions League semi-finalists.

The key factor behind that decision is PSG’s depth in defense, with Marquinhos, Lucas Beraldo, Lucas Hernandez, Willian Pacho and Presnel Kimpembe all ahead of him in the pecking order.

With first-team opportunities looking limited, Tape has chosen to look elsewhere for his next step, and both Tottenham and Bayer Leverkusen are reportedly working to secure a deal.