All parties including Middlesbrough will want to get a move for Djed Spence signed and sealed quickly with the new Championship season approaching, according to the view of Sky Sports journalist Michael Bridge who spoke to Football League World.

The 21-year-old has been the subject of interest from several top-flight teams over the past couple of months including Arsenal, Manchester City and Bayern Munich as he continued to impress at former loan side Nottingham Forest.

However, it's Tottenham Hotspur that are believed to be leading the race for his signature as they remain confident of securing a breakthrough in talks with the Boro.

 

 

The Teesside club are seemingly willing to cash in on the England youth international with Isaiah Jones emerging as an accomplished option at right wing-back at the Riverside - and this upcoming window potentially the best chance for Chris Wilder's side to maximise his fee with two years left on his deal.

They could potentially create a bidding war with former loan club Forest prepared to break their transfer record to secure Spence's signature on a longer-term basis - and other clubs may also enter the race in the coming months.

But Sky Sports reporter Bridge believes bringing in funds quickly will be of more importance to officials at Boro as opposed to maximising the fee they receive for his services.

Speaking to Football League World, he said: "I also feel that Middlesbrough probably want this done quite quickly.

"The Football League (EFL) starts the week before the Premier League, so I imagine all parties will want to get it done.

"So I don't envisage a problem there."

The Verdict:

Some moves may not be sanctioned at the Riverside unless they have the Spence funds at their disposal, so you can understand why they want to offload the 21-year-old as quickly as possible - because it's clear he has no future on Teesside.

Even if they agree to a lower fee than they would've wanted to, inserting a sell-on clause may be wise considering he could be sold on for a decent fee in the future, providing Boro with a future financial reward.

Selling the Englishman early could enable Wilder to tie down some of his top targets ahead of others and may enable the ex-Sheffield United manager not to just bring in top-quality players, but also a higher number of additions before the season starts with the increased funds he will have to play with.

For a player that may not have been one of the first names on the teamsheet next season anyway, to strike a £20m deal or somewhere in the region of that would be a great boost for Boro and this could allow the club to bring in the player needed to challenge for promotion.

Not only will they be able to spend considerable fees on players with this sale - but it may also allow them to add to their wage bill and this will help them to attract high-quality loanees.