By Sam Stone

18th Jun, 2022 | 6:00pm

Nottingham Forest admit defeat in pursuit of Djed Spence allowing clear Tottenham path

Nottingham Forest have admitted defeat in their pursuit of Middlesbrough wingback Djed Spence allowing Tottenham to swoop for his signature, as reported by the Northern Echo.

The newspaper claimed on Friday 17 June that Forest boss Steve Cooper made no secret of his desire to sign Spence but accepts that Premier League competition is hard to compete with.

Cooper was keen to bring the 21-year-old back to The City Ground where he was a key man in their successful promotion campaign.

The news of Forest pulling out of the chase could now open the door for Tottenham to get a deal over the line.

The Guardian’s Fabrizio Romano wrote on his Personal Twitter account on 17 June when asked about Spurs’ interest in the right back: “Interest, talks with his agents but still waiting for an official proposal.”

Ideal for Spurs

Spence would be the ideal wing back to provide superb competition in Antonio Conte’s 3-4-3 system.

He’s not afraid to get forward, he likes to beat his man and he looks to cross the ball at every opportunity.

Furthermore, only being 21 means the defender has plenty of years ahead of him to develop and become a prized asset for Tottenham going forward.

It was a strange scenario for Spence last season being loaned out to Nottingham Forest from a Championship rival.

However, his move to Forest looked to have rejuvenated his career.

He must make the right decision regarding his next move with Spence needing to continue playing regular first-team football.

He would almost certainly be a mainstay in Forest’s side but whether he will feature frequently at a bigger club remains to be seen.

It is almost certain that Spence won’t be at Middlesbrough next season, and the next couple of weeks could be telling for where the defender ends up next season.

In other Spurs news, an 18-year-old has now penned a new Tottenham Hotspur deal.