Wolverhampton Wanderers replaced Matt Doherty with Nelson Semedo in the summer transfer window and have Ki-Jana Hoever, Oskar Buur and Luke Matheson who can also operate at right-back, but TEAMtalk said earlier in November that we were considering a January move for Djed Spence and may have to battle Everton, Crystal Palace and Newcastle United for his signature.
The 20-year-old has been a regular at Middlesbrough and looks to have a bright future, but do we really need another player in his position? And if we are legitimately looking to strengthen our defence with Spence, does that mean an existing player could be on their way out?
Who is Spence?
Spence made 19 appearances for Fulham U18s and six appearances for their U23s before joining Middlesbrough on a free transfer in 2018. He’s gone on to make 27 appearances for Boro’s U23s and 37 in their first-team, scoring two goals.
The 20-year-old made the matchday squad during the tail end of the 2018/19 campaign and made his senior debut midway through last season. Spence has been a regular at right-back and in midfield, so he would fit the mould at Wolves due to his positional versatility. I just don’t think we need him.
How much would he cost?
Boro signed Spence for free two years ago, but Transfermarkt say his valuation has risen to £1.8m while ESPN said he has a £10m asking price amid interest from Tottenham Hotspur.
I think that estimate is still way off, however, as the 20-year-old is highly rated and signed a new deal with Boro in February. Neil Warnock has been full of praise for Spence and believes he can go right to the top too, so why would he be sold for cheap?
The North East side have no obligation to cash in for less. Spence seems happy at the Riverside Stadium, is playing regular football and is in fine form. He might cost a tidy sum, so if Spence is only playing second fiddle to the likes of Semedo and Hoever, is it worth signing him?
His arrival would be a major blow to Matheson and Buur’s hopes of getting first-team football under Nuno Espirito Santo.
