Mikey Moore has made no secret of how much he is enjoying life at Rangers.
The 18-year-old Tottenham winger, currently in the middle of a loan spell at Ibrox, has told those around him that he would love to extend his stay in Scotland for another season. According to a report from TEAMtalk, Moore is thriving under Danny Rohl and has settled so well in Glasgow that he would choose to stay if the decision were entirely his own.
It is not, though given that the final call rests with Tottenham, and that means Moore’s future is tied directly to what happens to the Lilywhites between now and the end of the Premier League season.
Rohl is clearly a fan. The Rangers manager has already urged the club to open talks with Tottenham about a possible loan extension, which says plenty about how Moore has performed during his time in the Scottish Premiership.
Across 40 appearances this season, the teenager has contributed nine goals, racking up close to 2,300 minutes of first-team action and featuring across the entire attacking line. For a player still only 18, that kind of consistent senior exposure has been invaluable.
Mikey Moore Rangers loan stats show why Tottenham face a difficult decision this summer
Moore’s development this season has been exactly what Tottenham were hoping for when they sanctioned the loan move last summer.
He had already shown plenty of promise in his breakthrough campaign at Tottenham but consistent game time under his belt looked limited and a loan to a club competing in European football and fighting for domestic honours sounded too good to ifnore given how it can accelerate his development.
And it has done exactly that.
Nine goal contributions in 40 appearances for Rangers, featuring everywhere in attack, and earning the trust of a demanding manager at a club with massive expectations – Moore has handled all of it.
His latest contribution came in Rangers’ 4-1 win over Aberdeen on Saturday, and after that game he spoke openly about how much the club means to him, describing Rangers as a club that has a special place in his heart.
Tottenham’s relegation battle is the key factor in Mikey Moore’s loan future
Here is where it gets complicated. If Spurs suffer relegation to the Championship, all the calculations change entirely given that as a Championship club Tottenham would almost certainly want Moore reintegrated into their first team rather than loaned out again given that he has that energy and directness well suited to fighting for promotion back to the top flight.
But if Tottenham do end up staying up, another loan spell at Rangers becomes a far more realistic outcome.
Moore would continue developing at a high level, Rohl would get the player he clearly rates highly, and Tottenham would avoid throwing the teenager into a difficult Premier League environment before he is fully ready.
The upcoming managerial appointment at Tottenham does add another layer of uncertainty with the incoming boss will have a significant say in whether Moore stays or goes. And a new manager assessing the squad from scratch may well have different ideas about his role.
Everyone at Tottenham rates him highly, and that has not changed despite everything going on around the club right now. Whether he returns to north London this summer or heads back to Ibrox for another year, the pathway to becoming a key first-team player at Hotspur Way is surely there for him to take.
