Tottenham Hotspur’s attempts to unload one of their unwanted defenders have apparently failed, with Genoa abandoning their interest in a permanent deal for Djed Spence.
The former Middlesbrough player has struggled in North London since joining for £12.4 million in the summer of 2022, just months after playing a key role in Nottingham Forest’s promotion to the Premier League.
Antonio Conte did not give Spence many opportunities in his team, and the right-back finished his debut season at Tottenham with only six games and 43 minutes.
Furthermore, all of those games came from the bench, and Conte permitted the Englishman to finish the season on loan with Ligue 1 club Rennes, where he made 10 appearances.
Spence also failed to impress Ange Postecoglou in preseason, and was loaned out to Leeds United, where he was troubled by injuries.
Genoa’refuse’ to satisfy Tottenham Price Demands
The 23-year-old had began to earn regular starts for the Whites before leaving in January to play in Serie A for Genoa, where he appeared 16 times and started eight games.
Spence did not score or assist in Serie A, but Genoa was said to be interested in keeping him on the roster permanently and had the option to sign him for €10 million (£8.5 million).
The Italians refused to pay that amount, despite Tottenham apparently lowering their demands and setting Spence’s new asking price at €7 million (£5.9 million), which they refused to decrease.
According to journalist Sacha Tavolieri, Genoa is planning to walk away from a permanent deal for Spence due to Tottenham’s price demands, and the club has already located a suitable replacement.
What happens next for Spence following Genoa’s collapse?
With a return to Italy no longer on the cards, Spence is set to return to North London for pre-season training, and the 23-year-old is still under contract for the next three seasons.
The right-back demonstrated enough talent at Nottingham Forest to suggest that he may make a name for himself in the Premier League, to the point where Arsenal were said to be competing with Spurs for his services.
However, for whatever reason, Spence’s signing was assumed to have been influenced by chairman Daniel Levy, and a return to the Championship appears to be the best option for all parties involved.
If Spence can outperform Postecoglou in the pre-season, he may be able to resurrect his Lilywhites career, but this is extremely unlikely.
Spence did not score or assist in Serie A, but Genoa was said to be interested in keeping him on the roster permanently and had the option to sign him for €10 million (£8.5 million).
The Italians refused to pay that amount, despite Tottenham apparently lowering their demands and setting Spence’s new asking price at €7 million (£5.9 million), which they refused to decrease.
According to journalist Sacha Tavolieri, Genoa is planning to walk away from a permanent deal for Spence due to Tottenham’s price demands, and the club has already located a suitable replacement.
Instead of pursuing Spence, Genoa will aim to reach an agreement for Napoli‘s Alessandro Zanoli, for whom they will pay a €500k (£422.5k) loan fee before a €6m (£5.1m) obligation takes effect next year.
What happens next for Spence following Genoa’s collapse?
With a return to Italy no longer on the cards, Spence is set to return to North London for pre-season training, and the 23-year-old is still under contract for the next three seasons.
The right-back demonstrated enough talent at Nottingham Forest to suggest that he may make a name for himself in the Premier League, to the point where Arsenal were said to be competing with Spurs for his services.
However, for whatever reason, Spence‘s signing was assumed to have been influenced by chairman Daniel Levy, and a return to the Championship appears to be the best option for all parties involved.
If Spence can outperform Postecoglou in the pre-season, he may be able to resurrect his Lilywhites career, but this is extremely unlikely.
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