Simon Jordan cannot understand Tottenham Hotspur’s decision to sign Djed Spence for an initial £12 million, telling talkSPORT (31 January, 10.30am) that the Premier League misfit would have been better off staying at Nottingham Forest.
It’s never a good sign when your new manager, almost immediately after your arrival, describes you as a ‘club signing’. The implication being, of course, that it was not Antonio Conte but those above him at Tottenham who decided on bringing Spence to North London from Championship outfit Middlesbrough.
And the fact that the England u21 international played just three minutes of Premier League football before being farmed out on loan to Rennes on deadline day only added to the feeling that he was about as wanted in Conte’s squad as a hot dog vendor at a Vegan Food Festival.
Tottenham’s Djed Spence joins Rennes in deadline day deal
“I don’t understand the dynamic of that transfer,” admits Jordan, the former Crystal Palace owner.
“He could have gone to Nottingham Forest. He could have stayed where he was actually successful. He’s gone to Spurs, and I don’t understand what the purpose of that transfer was.”
Spence played a major role in Forest’s promotion-winning campaign in 2021/22; playing the best football of his career on loan at the City Ground. With the benefit of hindsight, the one-time Fulham youngster would probably have been better off signing a permanent deal on the banks of the Trent.
Particularly with Tottenham potentially investing £40 million in Pedro Porro. The Spaniard’s arrival forcing Spence even further down the pecking order.
At least, after swapping Britain for Brittany, Spence should find first-team football a little easier to come by. Especially now Rennes have lost captain Hamari Traore and Lorenz Assignon to injury.
“He has an interesting player profile,” says Rennes’ sporting director Florian Maurice. “(Spence) is a committed, fast player who is able to defend and attack well. He won promotion to the Premier League with Nottingham Forest last season.
“He has played little with Tottenham, but he’s still a player with great potential. I hope he will quickly blend into the group in order to show us his qualities.”
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