Town are expected to confirm the season-long loan signing of Tottenham midfielder Massimo Luongo early this week. TWTD was first to reveal that the Blues were targeting the 19-year-old Australian earlier this month.

Sydney-born Luongo joined Spurs in January 2011 after impressing while on trial, having previously played for APIA Leichhardt Tigers in his homeland.

He made nine appearances for their U18s in the 2010/11 season, scoring three goals from central midfield, including one in a final day 2-1 defeat of the Blues.

By the beginning of last season he had impressed enough to make his senior debut — and miss the decisive spotkick in a shoot-out — as a 71st minute sub in a Carling Cup tie with Stoke. That remains his only first team appearance.

Capped twice by Australia at U20 level and called into senior training camps, 5ft 9½in tall Luongo also qualifies to play for Italy, the nation of his father's birth, and Indonesia, where his mother was born.

Luongo is currently with the Tottenham development squad which is playing a friendly against Italian side Calcio Como tonight but yesterday tweeted to a friend: "Looks like I'm heading for a loan."

Photo: Action Images

Photo: Action Images

Steve_ITFC_Sweden added 15:55 - Jul 22 In Klug we trust! End of!
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TractorBeezer added 16:15 - Jul 22 For those who disapprove of 19 year olds read what Fergie says about youth: "You see, the difference between Manchester United and the rest is that we can play 18-year-olds if they are good enough, because it is part of our history. It seems to be a sort of destiny for us that when a young player emerges, play him. It's never failed us. "There's not many clubs can do that. City won't do it. They definitely won't play any young players. All the buys are 25-, 26-, 27-year-old players, good maturity, right type of experience, good ages.But they don't play any young players." It's the youth of his squad that Ferguson is so confident, listing a group of youngsters he would feel comfortable fielding in the Premier League. "If you look at the team I could play under 23. You could play De Gea; Rafael, Smalling, Jones, Evans as the back four.Cleverley, Powell, Chicharito, Lingard; Welbeck, Kagawa. You could play a premier division team of young players. So the future is absolutely solid." Surely it's all about the right balance.

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Spurs added 16:50 - Jul 22 Spurs fan here. Luongo may not walk straight into your first team but would certainly be a good back up to the first team. Given some playing time and some encouragement from PW I think this guy could be a solid Premier league player.
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MattinLondon added 17:09 - Jul 22 I would of thought that being at a club like Spurs he would need to be fairly useful as they can afford to take on a lot better players at youth level then what we can. Ideally I would of wanted a central defender or winger but if it happens...welcome to the club
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TheJam added 17:44 - Jul 22 there are some TWT's on here who one minute want youngsters, and experience the next. Follow the shepherd or make your mind up. Andy drurys loan spell at crawley last season, seems to of done us and him no end of good. Positive +
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BYRNE_16 added 18:55 - Jul 22 Yet again people moaning! Bore off will ya! Great Coup...... COYB's!
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TractorBeezer added 19:09 - Jul 22 Spurs Fan, Thanks for taking the time to post your insight about Luongo especially since most of us know little about him. Many of us have faith in the judgment of Brian Klug who as you probably know headed the Ipswich academy (but was let go by Keano) and was at Spurs for two years as the assistant academy manager and head of player development. He is now welcomed back with us as head of our academy. It will be a win-win for Spurs and Ipswich if Luongo does well here.

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TimmyH added 19:31 - Jul 22 Never heard of him! just because he's been at Tottenham for over a year doesn't mean he will be class, as others have said we should be bringing our own youngsters through - he'll have to work to get a starting place and shouldn't think just because he's come from spurs he'll go straight in! all the best while he's here all the same.
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oscarwhiting added 19:48 - Jul 22 dont really want A lonee
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scooterblue added 21:00 - Jul 22 show's our current acadamy team not that good at the moment.
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Tractastic added 21:22 - Jul 22 If we had signed him then this would be a positive post saying thats its great we are looking to the future with good young players. However as a young loanee with little first team experience can't see how this is good news for the club hoping to push on this season. If he plays and does well sorry for being cynical but he is hardly likely to sign for ITFC as we have seen in the past (Colbeck etc ) so no building for the future. However as some posts have pointed out this maybe a Klug initiative which while i support to an extent,and welcome back Mr Klug, personally i would like to see the signing or loaning of a more experienced and successful midfield general worthy of the captains arm band.

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Sorry added 21:55 - Jul 22 Got to be realistic here, plenty of clubs make decent use of season long loans of younger premier league squad players. Sure, in general the club needs to be thinking in the long-term, but if we can improve the squad for this season at minimal cost, why not? Where we finish this season will determine how attractive we are the season after, so progress is progress really.

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Dissboyitfc added 22:12 - Jul 22 I despair at some of the comments on here at times... when the scum were promoted to the premiership they had used the services of a young loan midfielder from arsenal< lansbury, similar age with little first team experience, he was a success and the scum went up.. Paul Jewell is dammed if he does and dammed if he doesn't...ffs people lets get behind the team...coyb

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ian_marshall added 23:01 - Jul 22 yes dissboyitfc All you twtd mencaps get behind the town or f@ck off to carrow road.
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AbujaBlue added 23:21 - Jul 22 Oh my god. I can't believe that what should be a positive story has turned into a depressing piece of dribble looking at some of these comments. Does it mean nothing to some people that this move probably came about because of Klug? Somehow I don't think he would have recommended this player if he didn't have some potential. This isn't Football Manager 2012 - leave it to the experts (and Klug is one of them).

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tim added 00:50 - Jul 23 kid mortimer
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