Tottenham announce second January exit as long-term Alfie Dorrington plan confirmed

The England Under-19 international made his senior Lilywhites debut as a substitute in their 5-0 Premier League thrashing of Southampton last month but has not been selected by Ange Postecoglou since.

Spurs are in the midst of a defensive injury crisis as Ben Davies, Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven work their way back from thigh problems, but Postecoglou has preferred Archie Gray as a makeshift defender alongside Radu Dragusin.

Dorrington was expected to earn some minutes in Sunday's FA Cup third-round clash with Tamworth, but the 19-year-old was an unused substitute again as Spurs triumphed 3-0 after extra time.

Postecoglou had confirmed that Tottenham were looking to loan Dorrington out for the remainder of the campaign, but the 2005-born prospect is still regarded as a top talent for the future, as evidenced by Spurs' decision to tie him down to a new deal until 2029.

Dorrington wanted to join Aberdeen "as soon as possible"

Following his extension, Dorrington will represent Aberdeen for the next few months and labelled his decision to head to Pittodrie as a "no-brainer", telling the club's official website: "It's amazing to finally be here.

"Everyone has been so welcoming; it feels like home already. I know it's a big Club with a lot of history and the supporters are really passionate so it was a no brainer for me. As soon as I spoke to the manager and heard about what he wants to achieve here I just wanted to get up here as soon as possible.

"I believe the way he wants to play will suit my style and he just wants this to be the best part of my career. It's my first loan so I want to start as many games as I can, work hard and I hope I can repay the faith the manager has shown in me."

Aberdeen head coach Jimmy Thelin added: "Alfie is a really exciting young prospect who recently made his debut for the Tottenham Hotspur first team.

"He has good speed, stature and good ability on the ball and his arrival will further strengthen our options at centre-back. We believe this will be an environment in which he can continue to grow and gain some invaluable match experience in a really competitive league."

Dorrington made the move to Tottenham as a 13-year-old, and the defender is the second player to leave the club on loan this month after Matthew Craig, who was recalled from his stint at Barnsley and sent to Mansfield Town.

Could Tottenham sign a new centre-back this month?

Postecoglou giving the green light to Dorrington's exit could mean one of three things; he does not feel that the teenager is ready for starts yet, he is happy with the options he has - even in their injury crisis - or he is anticipating a new face through the door this month.

Tottenham have inevitably been linked with a handful of European centre-backs now that the January transfer window is open for business, from AC Milan's Fikayo Tomori to 6ft 6in Udinese defender Thomas Kristensen.

However, talk of the Lilywhites strengthening their defensive ranks has died down significantly over the past week or so, as the focus is now believed to be on Paris Saint-Germain striker Randal Kolo Muani.

Spurs and Juventus are thought to be in direct competition for the Frenchman, who could be allowed to leave PSG either on loan or permanently during the winter window.

Written by

Ben Knapton