Who is Djed Spence? Nottingham Forest ace wanted by Arsenal, Liverpool and Bayern

Robin Bairner

7 Mar 2022 19:38 GMT
5 min read

Djed Spence, Nottingham Forest, 2021/22 — © ProShots

Djed Spence of Nottingham Forest may not be the biggest name in world football, but come the summer of 2022, he may be the player courted by the most giant clubs.

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The 21-year-old has enjoyed a breakout campaign in the Championship but is set to make a big step up in the summer, having come through the academy at Fulham before moving to Middlesbrough, who sent him on loan to Forest in the summer.

Spence has exploded at the City Ground and is now considered to be one of the biggest prospects in England’s second tier.

Little wonder, then, that so many clubs are fighting to sign him.

What position does Djed Spence play in?

Spence is best suited to playing at right wing-back but can also play right-back.

How good is Djed Spence?

Spence has been a standout performer at Nottingham Forest, despite initial scepticism over his presence at the club. When he arrived in the summer, there was a feeling that they did not need another right-back. He has proven those doubters wrong by being the team’s outstanding performer this season.

Although not the finished article by any means, the defender is rapidly improving and appears well capable of already featuring for a good Premier League side.

“I could see him playing for England, even in a position where there is unbelievable competition,” Brian Laws, a former Notts Forest player, told The Athletic.

“I loved Matty Cash. At one stage people were talking about him eventually joining the 20 or so full-backs we seem to have who are good enough to challenge for an England place, Spence has a bit more about him.”

His strengths are primarily offensive, where he shines with his eye-catching dribbling, but he also rates well in terms of recoveries and defensive positioning.

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What clubs are interested in Djed Spence?

Tottenham are thought to be leading the race for Spence ahead of the summer transfer window, with Antonio Conte on the look out for a new defender.

They will face stern competition, though. Liverpool and Arsenal are both keeping an eye on him and as many as nine Premier League clubs are interested in him.

Meanwhile, Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund have also been linked with Spence, while two unnamed teams in Spain are also tracking him.