Leeds and Arsenal are reportedly in the mix to sign on-loan Nottineham Forest star Djed Spence this month. Still on the books at Middlesbrough, Neil Warnock compared him to Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold in 2020.
Spence, 21, has been excellent on loan at Forest after Middlesbrough allowed the talented defender to move to the City Ground on loan. The Express report that he is rated by Middlesbrough at a hefty £15million.
Not only are Leeds and Arsenal chasing the right-sided flyer, but he also has interest from Italy. Jose Mourinho’s Roma are keen on luring another Englishman to the Stadio Olimpico – as are Inter Milan this month.
That is, according to CalcioMercato. Because Spence has played for both Boro and Forest this season, he will have to return to Forest until the summer as he is unable to play for a third club. But the interest remains.
Back in 2020, Warnock heaped praise on Spence. As quoted by the Hartlepool Mail, Warnock compared the Boro-owned defender to that of Liverpool’s £180,000-a-week (Spotrac) Alexander-Arnold.
“You look at one or two or the others now, Trent Alexander-Arnold at Liverpool and Wan-Bissaka at Man United, they are all that type,” Warnock said, when asked about Spence and the youngster’s potential.
“He has got enormous ability and when you have that ability it’s criminal if you don’t get to the very top. I said to him in the first couple of weeks he will only have himself to blame if he doesn’t get to the very top.”
Warnock on Spence: Leeds, Arsenal to land next Alexander-Arnold?
Alexander-Arnold is clearly, the cream of the crop – not just in the Premier League, but in world football. He is among the top three right-backs in football at the moment – so, to say Spence will get there, is ambitious.
But the form he is showing at Championship level, at right-back or right wing, is impressive. He is producing Premier League-level performances and at 21, he is only going to get better. He needs game time.
At Arsenal, given the signing of Takehiro Tomiyasu, the Gunners are hardly going to give him the platform to develop. But at Leeds, he could easily be a long-term replacement for Luke Ayling.
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