Tottenham: Djed Spence summer transfer decision already made as new Genoa update emerges
Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou will have already made a decision “in his mind” over Djed Spence’s future ahead of the summer transfer window, according to Alan Hutton.
The Englishman has enjoyed a mixed season so far, nearly featuring on loan at Leeds United before joining Serie A side Genoa for the second half of the campaign where he has made 11 appearances without scoring or assisting.
Despite that slow start, Genoa sporting director Marco Ottolini has admitted he would be keen to keep the 23-year-old in Italy beyond the end of the season, even suggesting that he is already in contact with Spurs [Caught Offside, 10 April].
Hutton has always been a fan of Spence and while he expects that the defender will want to return to North London to have a “right good go” at pre-season, he also believes Postecoglou will have already made a decision over his future.
“I’ve always liked him,” Hutton told Tottenham News.
“I think the modern-day fullback needing to get up and down, I thought that was one of his strengths. Can he play in that position where the likes of Porro and Udogie play as more or less a number 10? I don’t know, we’ve not really seen him in that role so it’s difficult to tell.
“Ange I would have thought, will have it in his mind in terms of what he wants to do. In terms of Djed Spence, I think it will come down to money.
“They bought him for £20million I think and I don’t see him then going for £20million, so it’s going to come down to talks over what Tottenham are willing to take to let him go.
“I still believe there’s a player in there, for whatever reason it didn’t work early on in his career, too many managers and different things. There was talk about an attitude problem maybe there, I don’t know because I’m not in there it’s just what I was reading.
“I presume he will want to come back for pre-season and give it a right good go, but again, I think we will have to wait and see.”
Will Tottenham sell Djed Spence to Genoa permanently in the summer transfer window?
Postecoglou and Spurs aren’t blessed with immense defensive depth currently, but it is hard to see how Spence could push his way past the likes of Pedro Porro and Emerson Royal to have a consistent place in the starting XI.
The 23-year-old has been in reasonable form in Italy, but he didn’t pull up trees in the Championship in the first half of the season. There has been very little in his performances to suggest he could consistently impact games in a Spurs shirt.
Postecoglou may opt to have a second look at him this summer before making a final decision, but if the rumours around Spence’s poor attitude are true, it is hard to see how the Australian could look past that given his high standards.
In other Tottenham news, Hutton believes Postecoglou has been handed a new blow to his top-four hopes after an update at Manchester City
For more Tottenham news, follow us on Facebook or join our brand new WhatsApp Channel for instant updates to be sent straight to your phone.