Tottenham are reportedly ready to sell Djed Spence in the January transfer window after Leeds United terminated his loan.
The former England Under-21 international joined Spurs in the summer of 2022, when Antonio Conte was still at the club, on a five-year deal in a deal worth £20 million.
However, Spence – who tasted promotion from the Championship at Nottingham Forest before moving to Tottenham from Middlesbrough – has only amassed six appearances in all competitions in 18 months at the club for Spurs.
He was loaned to Leeds United in the summer transfer window after it became clear that he would see little game time under the guidance of Ange Postecoglou this campaign.
But after just five appearances for the Yorkshire club in the Championship, Leeds decided to abruptly terminate his loan and send him back to Tottenham.
Leeds boss Daniel Farke gave a damning verdict on Spence’s time at Elland Road after sending the 23-year-old back to his parent club last week.
Farke said: ‘After some time after the New Year’s Day game, we analysed the first half of the season, the first months and, in particular, also the impressions over the festive period. When you make a decision in January, it is of course not a short-term decision.
“It’s more like you think about situations in the weeks and months before, but we also wanted to take into account the impressions from the festive period and then there was also time to exchange thoughts and discuss things. We came to the conclusion that we will terminate the loan for Djed and that he will return to Tottenham. We are grateful for the time he has spent with us.
“He is a player with great potential and also a cool guy with a really good heart, so we really wish him all the best. But yes, sometimes you have to make a decision. I don’t want to talk too much about Ded as he has since returned to Tottenham as well and I totally respect that he is a Tottenham player.
“Listen, we came here in the summer to create and bring new values and create a new culture at the club and when we talk about a player, whether he is here permanently or on loan, we have expectations and those expectations are important in many themes.
“Obviously the potential and the quality of the player is important, but also the professionalism, the discipline, the workload on and off the pitch. And also soft skills, so also if he is positive and committed, good for the group and deals with these topics, that then more or less paints the picture.
“We decided ‘okay, this is the player we want in our group and who wants to represent Leeds United’. But our demands are very, very high and we don’t differentiate between loan players and permanent players, so we’re quite picky on that subject.”
Spence hasn’t impressed enough to be rewarded with playing time in north London, and Football Insider claims Tottenham are now “ready to sell” the right-sided defender permanently in January.
As it is known, Spurs have “put the full-back up for sale to generate cash for Ange Postecoglou and bring in further reinforcements to their squad” but “do not expect to recoup the full fee paid to Middlesbrough in the summer of 2022”.
But transfer expert Fabrizio Romano expects Spence to be loaned out again, despite an unsuccessful spell at Leeds.
Romano wrote in his Caught Offside column: “Another situation at Tottenham involves Djed Spence, who has returned to the club after a difficult loan spell at Leeds. Now the plan is for him to go out on loan again. He is expected to look for solutions in England, but also in other countries, including Germany and Italy. They will examine the options and it is expected that he will leave the club again.
“It hasn’t been an easy time for Spence, but of course I think he can revive his career at Spurs in the future. He is still a quality player, but now he really needs to play regularly.”