Guglielmo Vicario’s injury absence could have huge implications on Tottenham’s potential success this season.
The Italian underwent surgery on a fractured ankle he suffered during their 4-0 win against Manchester City on Saturday.
talkSPORT understands that Spurs fear Vicario could be out for months and they will consider signing a new goalkeeper in January.
Fraser Forster, who is 36 years old, is set to deputise in the coming weeks as Ange Postecoglou navigates around a hectic festive period.
However, should Spurs be keen for a younger face in goal, then they may look closer to home and play academy graduate Alfie Whiteman.
Whiteman joined the north London side’s youth setup and even led the team out with Robbie Keane as a mascot in 2007.
And 13 years later he made his senior debut under Jose Mourinho.
The 26-year-old’s first and only appearance for the club came off the bench in a 4-0 Europa League win at home to Ludogrets.
He then had two spells at Swedish top flight side Degerfors IF in 2021 and 2022 but has not featured for any other team since.
Although Whiteman has played just eight minutes of football on the pitch for Spurs, he’s certainly got an interesting life off it.
DJing is one of his passions, with the goalkeeper making his debut on the London-based radio station NTS Radio earlier this year.
Psychedelic rock and soul were just two of the genres in his hour-long debut, and he told Mixmag: “This was my first time doing a live show.
“Before this, I was just making mixes and playlists on my laptop and sharing them with friends.”
Whiteman added: “I’ve always had a deep interest in listening to and discovering new music, so I was grateful for this opportunity.”
His taste in music covers a wide range of artists and bands as, when asked by Spurs who he’d like to see live, he said: “I’d love to see Radiohead, I think they’d be great.
“But if I could choose anyone at all, I’d probably say Al Green. There are loads, it’s a long list and people like Nina Simone and Miles Davis at the height of the jazz scene would have been incredible.
“And I would rather have seen them perform at a small intimate club than a big venue.”
Whiteman extended his love of music to the younger community in March by visiting Project 2020 in Northumberland Park.
The Haringey Council scheme offers a safe space and activities for 11 to 19-year-olds, with the Spurs man performing an unscripted DJ set.
Away from the decks, Whiteman is also keen to appear with and in front of the camera with his photography and modelling.
Featured on his personal Instagram page are a series of snaps of talent, as well as pictures of his parents on their wedding day.
Whiteman is also represented by London-based modelling agency Storm Management, who have showcased his poses on Instagram.
In August 2021, aged 22, he signed for Degerfors for the first time and made 13 appearances towards the end of their campaign.
A return to the club was sealed in February the following year and he played another 21 matches, with Whiteman opting for a different style of accommodation.
“I was living in a very small town, 20,000 people, so it was quite a stark change to London,” he told Spurs’ Off The Shelf podcast.
“I’ve grown up in London, in the city. Like Sweden, my mum is half-Finnish so I’ve been to Finland, Sweden had similarities and it’s beautiful, the forests, the lakes and everything.
“I was there all alone and no one could visit because of travel restrictions from COVID and I was like, ‘I’ll make the most of this situation’.
“I went on Airbnb and found this cabin near the training ground. It had a sauna, the water would come from the lake and it had a jetty to the lake, the toilet was like a hole, and it was really good.
“I would make a fire and sit outside, and the winter came and it got really tricky, it gets really cold in Sweden. Then I went back, so I did one stint because their seasons are different, they do it throughout the year.
“So I did half a season, came back in January, managers have changed, a new manager, came back, I was like, ‘I’m going to go back on loan, go do a whole season.’
“Went back to Sweden for a second time because the first time I went to that cabin twice but it was winter, the second time is when I committed.
“My teammates were like, ‘Are we going to find out that there’s going to be a documentary and you have to cover all these bodies they found?’ I was like, ‘No, no!’ But it was great, it was a new experience.”
Whiteman hasn’t been named in any of Spurs’ squads this season but could be given the nod by Postecoglou whilst Vicario is out.
They face Roma, live on talkSPORT 2 on Thursday, and Rangers in the Europa League before the end of the year amongst various Premier League clashes.
Fulham, Newcastle and Liverpool are just some of the tests to come, as well as huge home fixture against rivals Chelsea.
A Carabao Cup quarter-final tie with Manchester United is also on the agenda as Spurs brace themselves for numerous tough matchups.
The experienced Foster may well be the starting goalkeeper during this time, but Whiteman could have a chance of playing himself as he rivals Brandon Austin for the No.2 spot.