Mauricio Pochettino does not bend easily but in the case of Josh Onomah he has changed his mind. 20-year-old Onomah is heading to Aston Villa on loan, having signed a new four-year contract at Tottenham Hotspur, giving him the chance to test himself in central midfield in the Championship this season.

That would be common at many clubs but at Tottenham it is a surprise. Pochettino’s policy with his best youngsters at Spurs – and Onomah remains the most gifted of his generation – has been to keep them at Tottenham. Pochettino rates his own coaching staff so highly that he does not want lesser coaches getting their hands on his players.

So Onomah, unusually for someone his age, has never been on loan. At the start of the summer Huddersfield, Brighton and Burnley were all interested in taking him but Spurs said no. A good offer from Celtic, where he would have played more, was rejected too.

Tottenham summer transfer targets Show all 8 1 /8 Tottenham summer transfer targets Tottenham summer transfer targets Tottenham summer transfer targets Which players could Spurs sign this summer? Getty Tottenham summer transfer targets Joshua King, Bournemouth Norwegian striker Josh King has had a fine season, scoring 16 goals for a Bournemouth side which hovered precariously above the relegation zone for parts of the season. He played a key role in keeping the Cherries up and, given his performances, has caught the interest of Tottenham. The player admitted in an interview earlier in the season that he is pleased that Spurs have recognised his talents - comments which have added fuel to the fire over a potential £15m move. Pochettino is eager to solve the goalscoring issue his team faces when Harry Kane is injured or rested and King, who also qualifies as home-grown, could be the ideal solution. Tottenham summer transfer targets Max Meyer, Schalke Schalke set the midfielder’s price-tag last summer at £45m for interested teams, but having remained at the club, Meyer has stalled over signing a new contract. With his current deal expiring next summer there is a realistic chance he will look to move on, and for a significantly lower fee than originally stated, at around £20m. Tottenham are among those monitoring his situation and could look to bring him in to increase squad depth ahead of another packed season. Tottenham summer transfer targets Ben Gibson, Middlesbrough A similar case to Michael Keane, the 24-year-old centre back is highly rated and won his first England call-up against Lithuania this year. Chelsea, who view him as an ideal replacement for the departing John Terry, seem to be in the driving seat. With Kevin Wimmer looking likely to leave, Tottenham will be in the market for a centre-back and hold interest in Gibson, though Chelsea’s eagerness to secure his signature may complicate things. Tottenham summer transfer targets Ross Barkley, Everton The Everton midfielder has obvious talent but has failed to perform consistently at his club. It is thought a change of scenery to invigorate his career is something the player would consider, and Tottenham are keen to snap him up if the chance arises. Barkley’s contract expires next summer and it is believed that Ronald Koeman will look to cash in on the playmaker to avoid losing him for free next season. That is no surprise, especially as he could cost interested clubs £30m. Tottenham summer transfer targets Demarai Gray, Leicester City Pochettino’s preference to buy players who already possess Premier League experience could see the Leicester winger, 20, become the subject of Tottenham interest this summer. Gray made 72 appearances for Birmingham City, where he came through the ranks, before joining Leicester in 2016 and gained 12 league caps to help the club win the Premier League title. With bags of pace and potential, he has also represented England from U18 to U21 level and is tipped for future success. A fee of £12m could be enough to prise the youngster away from Leicester this summer. Tottenham summer transfer targets Ryan Sessegnon, Fulham The young left-back has now turned 17 and, as a result, is legally allowed to sign his first professional contract. A host of top clubs have scouted the player, who impressed at Craven Cottage in Fulham’s televised FA Cup tie against Tottenham back in February, but the West Londoners are keen to keep hold of him by guaranteeing him first team football. Tottenham have been strongly linked to the youngster in recent days, though, and Fulham can expect a fight to hold onto the defender. Tottenham summer transfer targets Wilfried Zaha, Crystal Palace The winger recently signed a new five-year contract at Selhurst Park in a move that will surely repel any interested clubs. Nonetheless, football works in mysterious ways and having already made a move for the winger last season, there’s no reason Spurs won’t come knocking a second time. Having said that, Tottenham would need to be serious in what they offer, as opposed to last summer’s £12m bid, if they’re to stand any chance of bringing Palace to the trading table.

But after getting Onomah back in for pre-season just three weeks after the Under 20 World Cup final – which Onomah’s England won – and then taking him to the US tour, Pochettino has decided to change course. And the decision on the loan is ultimately inseparable from the debate on Onomah’s best position.

Onomah sees himself as a box to box midfielder, especially given his physical development in his late teens. That is the role he has played in youth teams and that is where he played so successfully for England U20s earlier this summer.

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But Pochettino does not trust him there, not yet. Last season Onomah and Harry Winks started as equals but Winks quickly earned Pochettino’s trust in the middle, Onomah never did. By the end of the season, Winks had started 12 games, Onomah just three.

Pochettino only saw Onomah as an option out wide, trying to make the most his speed and strength, but not trusting his skills in the middle. Ultimately he was a back-up for Moussa Sissoko and that was it, until he proved to his manager that he had learned.