Tottenham Hotspur head coach Antonio Conte may not have “had a clue” who Djed Spence was when the club secured the right-back’s signature at Hotspur Way, talkSPORT pundit Jamie O’Hara has suggested to GIVEMESPORT.
The former Middlesbrough talent has now been shipped off on loan to Ligue 1 outfit Rennes until the end of the season.
Tottenham news – Djed Spence
After helping Nottingham Forest achieve promotion to the Premier League during his loan spell at the City Ground, Spence’s services were in relatively high demand last summer.
It was Tottenham who secured his signature, signing the Boro right-back for a fee that could eventually rise to £20m at the expense of his former employers in the East Midlands.
Upon his arrival, Spence said: “I am just thankful that I have got here and I am going to get an opportunity to play in the Premier League at a big club like Tottenham.”
But his playing time at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium has been limited, with the London-born starlet yet to make a Premier League start for Conte’s side.
And O’Hara isn’t convinced that 53-year-old was aware of whom Spence was following his acquisition and thinks that the signing was encouraged through Daniel Levy striving to secure a good deal rather than a Fabio Paratici-led transfer.
What has O’Hara said about Tottenham and Spence?
O’Hara told GIVEMESPORT: “I’m not convinced he [Conte] had a clue who Djed Spence was. I’m not convinced that he wanted these players. Did he want Bissouma? I don’t know.
“You can talk about Paratici, but I think Daniel Levy sees a deal and goes ‘that’s a good deal, I’ll make that work.’”
What next for Tottenham and Spence?
With Conte looking likely to depart the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium at the end of the season, Spence may feel that his chances of game time will increase on his return to north London in the summer.
The three-time England U21 international has made just six appearances at Spurs, having been handed just 41 minutes worth of action, hardly a fair chance to display his qualities.
It comes as no surprise that, as per WhoScored, the 22-year-old is ranked as the lowest-performing-player in Conte’s squad after achieving a rating of 6.00 for his displays in the Premier League, though it must be taken into account that he has made just four appearances as a very late substitute in the top-flight.
Therefore, it’s fair to assume that the acquisition of Spence was never something that Conte was particularly behind, but the right-back will be hoping for fresh opportunities when the squad reports back for pre-season training in the summer.
