Djed Spence is one of the youngsters reportedly on Tottenham's radar for the upcoming summer transfer window. Spurs are still battling to secure Champions League football for next season and have four games left to over take fourth placed Arsenal.
Once the season comes to an end, decisions will need to be made regarding the next steps for the Lilywhites. This will involve an assessment regarding Antonio Conte's future and then what business needs to be done, to help take Tottenham to the next level.
Improvements are needed in a number of positions in the Spurs squad, as well as adding more quality in the depth of the team. Wing-backs is one of these key areas, which is where Spence could slot in.
READ MORE: Djed Spence and the right wing-backs Fabio Paratici could consider in Tottenham transfer plans
The 21-year-old is currently playing for Nottingham Forest, on loan from Middlesbrough. Spence's current side are battling for promotion to the Premier League and are three points behind second placed Bournemouth, who they face on Monday evening.
The defender has made 40 Championship appearances so far this season, scoring two goals, registering five assists and playing 90 minutes in all but two games for Forest. Last month, Spence's current manager Steven Cooper praised the youngster.
"We’ve really enjoyed working with him since he joined the club. He has been an important player for us this season and he has really committed to our way of playing," Cooper admitted.
Therefore it is no surprise that a number of Premier League clubs have reported interest in the 21-year-old, including both Spurs and Arsenal, though his current situation is a little complicated. If Forest do get promoted, clubs may struggle to get Spence to make the move, although Nottinghamshire Live reported that they understand he will make a decision on his future when the end of the season comes around. There is also reported interest from Brentford and teams abroad, such as Inter Milan and Barcelona.
When speaking to bettingexpert, former Middlesbrough star Stewart Downing revealed his thoughts on the youngster. "I was with Djed when he got released from Fulham and came to Middlesbrough and started to train with the first team," he admitted.
"You could see he had natural ability, you could see he can run, he’s good with the ball but he was still a bit raw. I think he got into the first team, and he was doing really well. I think more with him it’s about his mentality."
Someone with Conte's pedigree could be great for a young player like Spence to help guide and develop him in his football career. The 21-year-old has featured as both a right-back and right-midfielder this season, making him a perfect fit for a wing-back position in the Spurs set-up and Downing explains that this is the boost Tottenham have over their north London rivals.
"I like the way Spurs play with a wing-back system, I know they’re quite defensive but I think Conte, he likes the wing-backs to go up and down, that suits his [Spence] game. I'm not sure about Arsenal, I think he would have to do another level," the 37-year-old explained.
"It wouldn’t surprise me if someone from the Premier league did take a chance of him, because if they get in for £10million which is probably not a lot of money in today’s game, you know, I think that could be good business for someone. I think the way Forest play, the manager’s attacking style suits him perfect and I think he could go and have a decent career."
With Matt Doherty's injury ending his season prematurely, it leaves Emerson Royal as Conte's only other choice at right wing-back. Apart from an improved performance in the 3-1 victory over Leicester, the Brazilian hasn't made the required impact since his move last summer.
It could be time to make a ruthless decision and move the 23-year-old on to bring in someone better suited to the wing-back role. If the Spurs boss believes this could be found in someone like Spence, then he may become a key target for Paratici.
However, a transfer dilemma could be faced with Downing's admission. "He’s a little bit laid back, he could be late at times, you need to be on him and be aggressive as a manager because he’s a little laid back, as I said, and I think managers can get frustrated with that," he said.
"He’s still only a young lad and he’s still got a lot to learn, but it wouldn’t surprise me if someone took a chance on him because I think he’s got the attributes to play in the Premier League."
Conte is known for his regimented managerial methods. In 2016, the 52-year-old explained what he expects from his players. "I give this, but I demand this - 'If someone hasn't got a good attitude during the training session or the good behaviour, in different circumstances, then I would prefer to kill him'. If a manager closes his eyes and does not want to see the bad situation, he will lose the changing room."
If someone like Spence doesn't have the correct attitude to work under the Italian, then the move may not work for the 21-year-old. But a number of the Tottenham players have expressed how beneficial they have found working with Conte, despite the hard work required and this could be something the defender finds, if he did make the move.
Only time will tell where Spence decides he wants to spend his future and what Conte and Paratici also decide is best. If Spurs do make the 21-year-old one of their transfer targets, they are likely to face strong competition.
