FC Utrecht starlet Adrian Blake was recently a target for Tottenham and now admits he would love to join Spurs’ Premier League rivals Arsenal at some point in the future.
With his scholarship contract at Watford expiring at the end of last season, Adrian Blake opted to take the Noni Madueke route despite interest from – among others – Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur (The Athletic).
The Islington-born 18-year-old signed a four-year contract with FC Utrecht last month.
And, speaking to NOS, Blake was keen to highlight the part Madueke played in his thinking; the England U21 international and one-time Tottenham whizzkid returning to the Premier League with Chelsea in January after a couple of stellar seasons at PSV Eindhoven.
Tottenham and Newcastle miss out on Adrian Blake
“There was Premier League interest,” 18-year-old Blake explains, via Utrecht Fans. “But I wouldn’t get any first-team opportunities there.
“I will get (chances) at Utrecht. The club has mapped out a trajectory for me, and I have chosen a change (of scenery).
“I am a winner, and I want to entertain people. Many footballers have made a name for themselves here (in the Netherlands), such as Noni Madueke. The choice to come to Utrecht was therefore a no-brainer for me.”
Madueke joined Chelsea for £30 million, and was a rare bright spark in a dismal end to last season. Who is to say Blake – one of the most coveted youngsters in the EFL not so long ago – cannot follow in Madueke’s footsteps, with Arsenal a dream destination for a player who idolises one of the Eredivisie’s greatest-ever exports?
“I hope to play for Arsenal one day,” Blake adds. “I know Dennis Bergkamp, of course. He was a fantastic player. Everyone remembers that goal against Newcastle United.”
Blake’s first task, however, is to nail down a starting spot at Utrecht.
Michael Silberbauer’s team finished a respectable seventh in the Eredivisie last season.
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