Tottenham Hotspur have confirmed the signing of Djed Spence from Middlesbrough in this summer transfer window, with the defender having signed a contract until 2027.
Spence moves to north London for an initial £12.5million fee, with a potential of a further £7.5million in future add-ons (Alasdair Gold) and becomes the club’s sixth signing this summer.
The England Under-21 international follows Fraser Forster, Ivan Perisic, Yves Bissouma, Richarlison and Clement Lenglet in teaming up with Antonio Conte’s side.
The 21-year-old makes the switch on the back of an impressive loan spell at Nottingham Forest, where he helped them to secure promotion back to the Premier League last season.
Spence will now compete with Matt Doherty for the right wing-back position, with Emerson Royal being likely to leave after just one season in N17 (Dan Kilpatrick).
Our View
Spence’s signing can be deemed a much-needed one as Conte finally has multiple reliable options on the right-hand side of the backline. While Doherty can be depended upon, looking at his performances before the season-ending injury, the same can not be said for Emerson, even if he did improve quite a lot at the tail end of the previous campaign.
In fact, Emerson has not made a mark in this pre-season either, and he even missed an open net in the 6-3 win against K-League. Conte’s wing-backs play a major role in the attack, and the Brazilian’s disappointing displays may have just led him to the exit doors at N17.
Spence, on the other hand, made a name for himself last season, showcasing great energy bombing up and down the right-hand side. In fact, the 21-year-old certainly lived up to the expectations against top-notch opposition as well when he faced them during Forest’s FA Cup run last time around.
Conte played a major part in helping Achraf Hakimi reach his current level during their time together at Inter Milan. One could wonder how the boss can impact Spence as the youngster has shown great potential to develop into a future superstar.
