Perhaps the biggest complement that can be paid to Isaiah Jones – arguably the Championship’s breakthrough star for 2021/22 – is that you won’t find many Middlesbrough supporters rueing the decision to send Djed Spence out on loan to Nottingham Forest.
Thanks to Jones’ outstanding form on the right-hand side of Chris Wilder’s trademark 3-5-2 formation, Spence’s own match-changing contributions have gone somewhat under the radar at the Riverside.
But, try as they might, even those most firmly entrenched in the Isaiah Jones camp would have to admit that, in Spence, Middlesbrough allowed one of the most exciting up-and-coming talents outside of the Premier League to join a direct Championship rival last summer.
One who, following Wednesday’s 3-1 triumph over another play-off chaser in Queens Park Rangers, are just a single place and a single point behind Wilder’s upwardly-mobile side in the table.
Is Djed Spence Premier League-bound?
Forest were a 1-0 down and staring defeat in the face before Spence took centre stage at Loftus Road.
And, thumping a 30-yard screamer into the back of the QPR net, Spence’s fourth career goal was one Alexander-Arnold himself would have been proud to call his own.
According to The Mirror (13 March, page 68) Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal both made contact with Middlesbrough recently. The Premier League giants are stepping up their pursuit of the £10 million-rated Spence.
Spurs reportedly made a pair of bids in January too (ESPN).
Antonio Conte’s sides, like Wilder’s, are most and effective with a pair of swashbuckling wing-backs wreaking havoc out wide. It’s certainly hard to imagine Emerson Royal or Matt Doherty – regardless of the latter’s improved displays – turning a game on it’s head with a moment of brilliance a la Spence in West London last night.
Only one team in the division have picked up more points than Forest since Steve Cooper’s appointment in September 25th.
And, yes, Middlesbrough have their own rampaging right-back in Isaiah Jones. But history won’t look too fondly on Spence’s departure should he fire Forest into the top-six at Boro’s expense.
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