It's a big summer in the transfer market for Nottingham Forest with the pressure on to get their recruitment right.
If the Reds are going to compete in the Premier League, boss Steve Cooper must bring some useful additions to the Nottingham Forest squad.
Trying to sign Djed Spence - either on a permanent deal or another loan deal - will be high up his list of priorities.
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Spence was one of the Reds' stand-out players during their promotion campaign having signed on-loan from Middlesbrough last summer, but with that comes the unwanted bonus of more clubs holding an interest in the talented wing-back.
Forest would love to sign the 21-year-old, but so would many other clubs. This is the situation as it currently stands...
What is Middlesbrough's stance?
Boro have no preference where Djed Spence heads so long as their financial demands are met, according to The Northern Echo. Spence's current deal at the Riverside lasts until 2024, meaning the ball is completely in Boro's court when it comes to transfer negotiations.
Reports earlier in the year suggested Boro have set a pricetag of at least £20 million. Such a fee would result in Spence becoming a club record sale for the North-East outfit.
Who is interested in Djed Spence?
Short answer - a lot of elite clubs.
Along with Nottingham Forest, a large number of clubs from the Premier League and across Europe have an interest in signing Spence this summer. According to football.london, Tottenham Hotspur are one of the front runners for his signature but face competition from Borussia Dortmund, Roma, Newcastle, Brentford and Forest to sign the England U21 international in the coming weeks.
Spence is reported to be close to completing a move to Tottenham for £20m, however, our sister publication Football.London and transfer specialist Fabrizio Romano say a fee is yet to be agreed, but progress could be made in the next 72 hours.
What have Forest said?
While Forest face plenty of competition for Spence's signature, CEO Dane Murphy says Reds owner Evangelos Marinakis will provide the financial firepower needed to try and keep the core of the promotion-winning squad together.
Speaking to US radio station Sirius XM, Murphy said: "We have a very strong owner who is not afraid to invest in the club and make sure it becomes the Premier League club it should be, in all facets of the business. At the same time, there have been a few clubs who have gone up and spent an inordinate amount of money and then gone back down, and it hasn’t worked.
"In recent years, you can look at Brighton and Brentford, even Sheffield United in the first year they went up, they didn’t spend a lot of money, they kept a core group of players that brought them up and tried to build off it. Sometimes in the second year it works, sometimes it doesn’t.
"I think it’s finding the balance between investing and making your team that much better to compete week in, week out, but still having your core group of guys. We have five loans, they all contributed – some pushed us beyond the mark. If we could get some of them back for next season and make them our players, we’re going to try to do that."
What has Djed Spence said?
Spence was full of praise for his time at Nottingham Forest when he spoke to NottinghamshireLive after the play-off final.
"[This club] means everything to me," Spence said. "I've come here and the fans and gaffer have both taken me in. We lose together and win together. We're going up together. This means everything to me."
When asked whether he would like to stay at the City Ground, Spence said: "I would love to stay, but it's not in my hands. We'll see what the future holds."
Once optimistically asked if Forest fans would see him in the Garibaldi again next season, he gave a simple one-word response: "Hopefully."
Are there contingency plans for Forest?
Issa Kabore has been identified as one of a number of alternative options should a move for Spence fail.
As first reported by Nottinghamshire Live, Burkina Faso defender Kabore is a target for the Reds. Premier League rules limit Forest to just two loans per season, meaning Forest are more likely to try and negotiate a permanent long-term deal for the player.
Liverpool starlet Neco Williams is another reported to be on Forest's radar. The 21-year-old full-back was part of Fulham's Championship-winning side after joining the London side on-loan from January. He has previously spoken out about his intention to play regularly and his ambitions of playing in the Premier League.
