Mikey Moore Picks the Premier League Over an Ibrox Return

Mikey Moore says the Premier League is where he wants to build his career, not the Scottish Premiership. The 18-year-old Tottenham winger, fresh off a loan season at Rangers that ended with him named the division’s top young player, has told the club he intends to fight for a place in Roberto De Zerbi’s rebuilt squad rather than go back to Ibrox.

The trouble is that De Zerbi has spent the summer stacking precisely the areas of the pitch Moore plays in. Tottenham have already committed more than £270m to new arrivals, with a deal for a Manchester City winger still being finalized. Moore’s ambition and Tottenham’s transfer strategy are pulling in different directions, and only one of them controls whether he actually plays.

Moore Draws His Line Under an Ibrox Return

Moore came off the bench at half time as Tottenham beat MK Dons 1-0 in a pre-season friendly, his first appearance back in a Spurs shirt since returning from his loan in June. Afterward, he was direct about where his future lies.

He called reaching the Premier League’s physical level a season-long project, saying it is “where I want to play football” and that the competition demands players who are “physically right” and technically sharp after a summer of work. Tottenham’s touring squad now heads to New Zealand for further pre-season fixtures, giving Moore more minutes to make his case before competitive football starts.

That case matters because Moore’s status at his boyhood club was genuinely uncertain heading into the summer. He is contracted to Spurs until 2030, a length that hands the club, not the player, control over any future loan decision.

Tottenham’s £270m Summer Complicates the Picture

De Zerbi has been blunt that the rebuild is not finished. Following back-to-back 17th-place Premier League finishes, Spurs have broken their transfer record twice this summer, and De Zerbi said this week the business is still not complete despite spending already passing the £270m mark.

Mateus Fernandes arrived for £85m before Sandro Tonali’s move from Newcastle United reset the club record again at a reported £92.5m, a figure that could rise to £100m with add-ons. Jan Paul van Hecke joined from Brighton & Hove Albion for £52m to shore up defense. None of that spending is aimed at Moore’s specific slot, but it sets the financial pace De Zerbi expects the squad to match, and it is not done.

Tottenham are also closing in on Manchester City winger Savinho, with reports pointing to a fee between £60m and £65m and personal terms already discussed. Unlike the midfield and defensive additions, Savinho plays directly in Moore’s area of the pitch. This summer’s spending spree across the Premier League has been unusually heavy at the top end, and few clubs have moved as aggressively out wide as Tottenham.

A Crowded Left Flank Awaits Him at Hotspur Way

The numbers make the queue visible. Here is where Tottenham’s summer business stands as Moore tries to force his way into De Zerbi’s plans.

Fernandes, Tonali and van Hecke do not compete with Moore for a shirt directly. Savinho does. If that deal closes, De Zerbi will have a 22-year-old Brazil international, bought for tens of millions, occupying the same flank Moore hopes to claim on ability and pre-season form alone.

Rohl’s Ibrox Pursuit Runs Into Moore’s Own Ambition

Rangers manager Danny Rohl made his interest public back in May, saying the club needed to stay on the “front foot” and do “everything” in its power to bring Moore back to Ibrox for a second loan spell. That pledge came weeks before Tottenham’s spending accelerated past £270m, and before Savinho entered the picture.

Rangers, for their part, have kept busy with their own pre-season planning regardless of how the Moore situation resolves, including reported talks over a Sparta Prague friendly ahead of this season’s Europa League draw. But nothing in Moore’s comments suggests he sees Glasgow as anything more than where he happened to develop.

Rangers is a huge club. I absolutely loved every second of my time there.

Moore said that in the same interview posted through Tottenham’s official channels, adding that he felt he had outlined his ambitions to play in the Premier League and come back from Scotland a better player and a better person. Warm words about a former club and a firm preference for a different one are not contradictory. They are just inconvenient for Rohl’s recruitment plan.

What Moore Actually Delivered on Loan

The affection Rangers fans have for Moore is not sentimental. His loan season produced real output against senior professionals in a competitive league, which is exactly why Tottenham’s coaching staff have reason to believe in him too.

• PFA Scotland Young Player of the Year, being named Young Player of the Year in Scotland for the 2025/26 season
• Six goals and two assists in the Scottish Premiership, seven goals across all competitions
• Goals in both Old Firm fixtures against Celtic at Celtic Park
• A full season of senior football under Rohl after joining on loan from Tottenham’s academy pipeline

Tottenham have also moved to protect other academy graduates this summer, handing academy defender Maeson King a new contract after his injury fight, even as the club spends heavily at the top of the squad. Moore’s situation is different only in that his development happened somewhere else entirely.

Will Rangers Get Another Chance at Moore?

Right now, no. Moore has stated a clear preference to stay and compete at Tottenham, Rangers have not confirmed any fresh formal approach since his comments, and De Zerbi has given no public indication that Moore is being pushed toward the exit. The situation could still change once matches start counting.

What is confirmed and what is still open are two different lists.

What we know:

• Moore has publicly said the Premier League is where he wants to play
• Tottenham have spent more than £270m this summer and De Zerbi says more is coming
• Danny Rohl called Moore an Ibrox priority as recently as May

What’s unconfirmed:

• Whether the Savinho deal completes, and at what final fee
• Whether Rangers have made any new approach since Moore’s comments
• Whether Moore makes De Zerbi’s matchday squad once the Premier League season kicks off

Tottenham’s touring party leaves for New Zealand next, the first real test of whether De Zerbi sees a role for Moore in this rebuilt XI or another season away from Hotspur Way.

Frequently Asked Questions

Could Mikey Moore still end up back at Rangers this summer?

It is not the plan on either side right now. Second loan spells are common for academy prospects who need first-team minutes, and Rangers already know exactly what Moore offers, which would make a repeat deal simple to arrange if his path at Tottenham closes. No fresh, formal approach has been reported since his comments about wanting Premier League football.

Who is competing with Mikey Moore for a wing spot at Tottenham?

Manchester City winger Savinho is the direct rival, with reports pointing to a fee between £60m and £65m for a player who scored four goals and added three assists in 36 appearances for City last season. Fernandes, Tonali and van Hecke all arrived this summer too, but they operate in midfield and defense rather than out wide.

What does Mikey Moore’s Tottenham contract situation look like?

Moore signed through 2030, a long-term deal that gives Tottenham full control over any loan decision rather than leaving him to run down his terms and force a move. That length is also a vote of confidence from the club in his long-term development.

Why are Tottenham touring New Zealand before the new season?

Pre-season tours like this one are largely commercial, but they double as live auditions for fringe players. For Moore specifically, matches in New Zealand are extra minutes in front of De Zerbi before squad numbers get cut down for competitive fixtures.