Journalist Dean Jones has been speaking on The Done Deal Show about Tottenham Hotspur transfer target Djed Spence.
The 21-year-old enjoyed a fine season on loan at newly promoted Nottingham Forest last season as his 46 appearances, three goals and five assists helped them on their way to clinching a spot in the Premier League after a long time out of England’s top flight.
While Jones claims that Forest had an agreement with Spence’s parent club Middlesbrough to sign him this summer for just £13m, after impressing in the Championship, Premier League big-names such as Spurs are now looking to throw even more money at Boro, with Antonio Conte’s side looking to bring Spence to north London.
Jones believes that it’s now likely Spence will become a Tottenham player.
He said: “Forest were told £13m – deal was on. So they got promoted, Djed Spence was with them, it looked like happy days.
“But now Tottenham come along, they can pay £20m, they can pay more in wages, and this is a team in the Champions League, in an unbelievable stadium, managed by Antonio Conte – certainly not getting relegated next season.
Is £20m a good price for Djed Spence?
Yes!
No!
“And Nottingham Forest, if you stay with them, don’t get me wrong – what Steve Cooper has managed to do at Forest has been brilliant, absolutely brilliant and they’re riding the crest of a wave at the moment. But it won’t be that much fun probably next season playing for Nottingham Forest, because however well you do, you’re still going to be in a relegation battle.
“Don’t get me wrong, I think Forest have possibly got enough to stay and win their fight against relegation next season and stay in the Premier League, we’ll have to wait and see who they actually sign; they’ve got a coach there who’s very smart.
“But yeah, Djed Spence, if he’s posed with a ‘you can stay at Nottingham Forest again, you really enjoyed that’ or ‘you can go and join Tottenham’, he’s probably going to go Tottenham.”
TIF Thoughts on Spurs’ Spence interest…
As it stands, Conte can call upon Matt Doherty, Emerson Royal and Ivan Perisic to operate as a right wing-back, but with Royal tipped for a summer exit and the other two on the wrong side of 30, bringing in Spence could give Spurs someone to play in that role for years to come.
For a 21-year-old English player that thrived in the Championship to only cost £20 million could almost be seen as a bargain, however, it would still come with a risk, given he has never played in the top flight and the step up from Championship into the Premier League has been difficult for many clubs and players over the years.