Tottenham Hotspur are closing in on a permanent deal for Middlesbrough's Djed Spence with the finances of the transfer moving forward, as per Sky Sports Transfer Centre (June 30th, 13:26).

Spence was one of the most impressive players in the Championship last season, thriving away from The Riverside on loan at Nottingham Forest.

Antonio Conte has played a three at the back system predominantly since arriving in North London and it is easy to see where Spence fits in with plenty of attacking freedom at right wing back.

According to Sky Sports Transfer Centre: "An agreement is getting closer and could be reached by the weekend.

"Discussions are centred around an initial fee of £15m plus add-ons."

The performances of Isaiah Jones at right wing back under Chris Wilder persuaded Boro away from recalling Spence in January, after he fell down the pecking order at the beginning of 2021/22 with Neil Warnock still at the helm.

Emerson Royal and Matt Doherty would still fancy their chances of blocking Spence's pathway to the first team, but with Champions League football back at Spurs, there will be plenty of minutes to allow the England U21 international to gradually make the step up to a higher level.

The Verdict

With two years remaining on his contract at Boro, and the sheer quality of his performances last season, £15 million seems like very good business from Spurs, and it does come at a small surprise that other clubs have not entered the bidding and offered more than that.

However, with the add-ons to the deal still being negotiated, it is likely in the future that the total payment is far more than that initial fee.

The sky is the limit as far as Spence's potential is concerned, and he will back his own ability to nail down a starting berth in North London by the end of the season.

The England national team is extremely well-stocked in the right back position, but Gareth Southgate cannot afford to sleep on Spence with the chances increasing that he will eventually defer to play for Jamaica.