It would be a surprise if Tottenham Hotspur were to even consider letting Djed Spence leave the club on loan in the January transfer window.
That is according to journalist Pete O’Rourke, who was speaking to This is Futbol about the latest news from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Spence signed for Spurs in a deal that could rise to £20m from Middlesbrough in the summer, but has found opportunities under Antonio Conte hard to come by.
The 22-year-old, who has been described as “swashbuckling” by Ian Wright, has been able to only make a singular appearance in all competitions this season, coming off the bench in the final stages of the side’s 2-0 Premier League victory at his former loan club in Nottingham Forest.
But O’Rourke believes that a loan move is not on the cards for Spence in the new year, with the full-back still having an opportunity to make his mark during a busy period for the north London side.
“I’d be very surprised if Spurs would even consider letting him out.
“They’ve got so many games to play right now.
“I think there’s like 13 games to play in the next month or so, such a busy period.
“I’m sure he will get some game time in that period.”
TIF Thoughts on O’Rourke’s comments
We think that there’s a good chance that Spence is given some game time before the season’s break for the World Cup, with Conte likely to need to use his squad in order to keep his team fresh and avoid injuries in a busy schedule.
However, we do think it’s odd that Spurs would be willing to sign a player in a deal worth £20m and not give him playing time, with a loan likely to be the England U21 international’s best chance of getting on the pitch at the moment.
Therefore, we think that whilst an opportunity for Spence to leave on loan may not be forthcoming this winter, it may be the best solution to keep his impressive development on track.