A huge claim has emerged on Tottenham Hotspur’s pursuit of Djed Spence in the summer transfer window…
What’s the talk?
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Alasdair Gold has claimed that Middlesbrough are expecting him to complete a move to north London ahead of the 2022/23 campaign.
He said: “There is a growing expectation, certainly on the Boro side, that the move is gonna happen. He [Spence] appears to favour Spurs, which is fantastic.”
Although, Gold also added that there has not been any movement from the Tottenham end with regards to a new bid for the full-back, as the two teams attempt to agree on a fair valuation of the player.
Conte will be delighted
The Italian head coach will be delighted by this news as the prospect of Spence arriving at the club is an exciting one for him.
He is a promising young wing-back who can come in and make an impact in the immediate term, whilst also holding the potential to develop further in the future.
This means that he is a player Antonio Conte can work with over time to help him hone his skills at wing-back. The ex-Chelsea boss will surely enjoy watching the defender progress as he gains more experience on the pitch, hopefully impressing in the process.
Former Arsenal forward Ian Wright heaped praise on one of his performances last season, saying: “If we are talking about right-backs performing at an unbelievable level, we’re talking about Reece James and Trent, but I have not seen a combative, technical, swashbuckling performance like that for a very long time.
“I said to him, in all seriousness, ‘That level we saw there? You should be in the Premier League.’ Simple as that.”
These comments suggest that he has the raw attributes required to excel as a wing-back in Conte’s 3-4-3 system as he is a dynamic, attack-minded, player.
He has shown, on loan at Nottingham Forest last season, that he does not shy away from his defensive duties. In the Championship, he made 2.9 tackles and interceptions per game and did not make a single error leading to a shot or goal, whilst providing two goals and four assists in attack.
Spence is a modern-day wing-back and has plenty of years left ahead of him, at the age of 21, to improve and grow as a player, which is why Conte will be delighted with the ‘growing expectation’ that he will join Spurs.
AND in other news: Conte could land Spurs masterclass in deal for “explosive” £30m gem, he’s Foden-esque…