Yahoo News Djed Spence transfer twist over Tottenham option
Former Nottingham Forest defender Djed Spence is looking for an alternative summer transfer after the collapse of his switch to Italian side Genoa.
BBC Sport report that his parent club, Tottenham Hotspur, and the side the 23-year-old played 16 matches for whilst on loan during the second half of the 2023/24 campaign had been in negotiations over a permanent deal. Genoa were seeking to find an agreement for less than the £8.5m option to buy included in his initial loan, though no accord could be reached.
Spence was open to the foreign move, however looks destined to find an alternative - rather than stay with Genoa or even Tottenham, where he has never been truly utilised.
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The full-back's talents were first spotted when flying up and down the wing for Steve Cooper's promotion-winning side of the 2021/22 campaign. He made 46 Forest appearances whilst on loan from then-Championship rivals Middlesbrough, including a full 90 minutes in the play-off final at Wembley, and was named in both the EFL and PFA's team of the season.
As he impressed so much, it was later a shock to see the club not take Spence on permanently amongst the signings made upon promotion. The Guardian reported that to be Cooper's decision, Spurs capitalised, and sealed a deal worth £20m in total.
But his North London transfer turned out to be a nightmare, as it was the board that green-lit the deal and not then-manager Antonio Conte. In the two years since he has only been allowed to turn out six times for the club, being loaned out to Rennes, Leeds United and lastly Genoa just to find game time.
At present there is no suggestion that Forest would go back in for their former loan star, but his contributions more than two years ago are fondly remembered amid his search for a new club.
