Middlesbrough boss Chris Wilder has claimed that Djed Spence's transfer to Tottenham dragged on as they were the only side in for his services. Outstanding last season as he helped Nottingham Forest win promotion to the Premier League via the play-offs, the right wing-back will soon become a Spurs player after the clubs finally agreed on a deal for the 21-year-old.
Following lengthy negotiations, Spence will move to N17 for a fee of £12.5million rising to £20million with add-ons. At The Lodge at Hotspur Way on Friday ahead of his medical, the England U21 will sign a long-term deal at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Linked with a number of clubs over the past few months after excelling in the Championship, Wilder has indicated that Nottingham Forest didn't come in for him despite his loan success and that Tottenham "were the only show in town" for the player. That meant negotiations rumbled on as a result but he feels that Spurs and Middlesbrough will both believe they have got very good deals now the move is finally going through.
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"It’s a boost for everyone. There has been far too much talk about it, but these deals just don’t happen overnight. It’s a big number for a player that has not played for us. He had a fabulous season [at Nottingham Forest], everyone knows that," said Wilder, as reported by TeesideLive.
"Tottenham were the only show in town, so they could hang out, which they have done. We needed to hang out, which we have done. Eventually, a deal has been done. Tottenham will feel they’ve got a very good deal for a young player, we feel we’ve got a great deal to get the money we’ve got for a player who has hardly played for the first-team here.
"Forest didn’t come in for him, nobody else came in for him, Tottenham were the only show in town. So that made it quite difficult for Neil [Bausor] and Steve [Gibson] to get the right number, but they did and they’re comfortable with it. As far as I’m concerned, he’s gone, I don’t have to speak about it again and we move on.”
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