TalkSPORT reporter Alex Crook believes Tottenham Hotspur are confident of getting a deal over the line for Middlesbrough wing-back Djed Spence because other sides that were interested in his signature have signed alternative targets, speaking to Give Me Sport.

The 21-year-old hasn't been short of interest in recent months with the likes of Arsenal, Bayern Munich, Brentford and Manchester City all believed to have been monitoring his situation.

Former loan club Nottingham Forest were even prepared to break their transfer record to secure his services on a longer-term basis following their promotion to the Premier League, with Spence playing a big part in that as a loanee at the City Ground last term.

However, it's Tottenham Hotspur that have seemed to be in pole position to secure his services for a while now, with talks on a mutually beneficial deal thought to be ongoing and Boro seemingly open to an exit following the emergence of Isaiah Jones.

Though it has been previously reported that Spurs are closing in on a deal to recruit the Englishman, an agreement is yet to be reached with Chris Wilder's side standing firm with their valuation of the 21-year-old.

Despite the two sides' differing verdicts on his value though, journalist Crook believes Tottenham are still confident about getting a deal over the line because other competitors for his signature have looked at or recruited other wing-backs.

He said: "There’s a bit of a stand off because Tottenham have got their price and Middlesbrough got theirs.

"But I think Tottenham think they’re in a strong position, because if you look at the other teams, Brentford were looking and have signed Aaron Hickey and Nottingham Forest have announced Neco Williams, so they don’t want him (Spence) anymore."

The Verdict:

There can't be room for complacency because although Spurs find themselves in pole position, that could change at any moment and this is why they should still look to get a deal over the line as quickly as possible.

It's safe to say Forest won't be in the race anymore considering they have recruited Williams who won't have come to the City Ground to sit on the bench and with this, there's little point recruiting Spence with Richie Laryea also available as an option.

Aaron Hickey should also be a starter in the English capital, so those two clubs probably won't be looking to make a big-money move for Spence, with the duo moving quickly to secure some much-needed addition on the right-hand side.

Meanwhile, Arsenal currently have Takehiro Tomiyasu, Cedric and Hector Bellerin at their disposal, so there's little point in making a move for the England youth international at this stage.

This bodes well for Spurs - but a deal ideally needs to be agreed soon so the 21-year-old can spend time settling into life in the capital before the new campaign starts.