The signing of Djed Spence on a permanent basis to Nottingham Forest looks increasingly unlikely.

It was reported late last week that the 21-year-old is set to move from Middlesbrough to Tottenham Hotspur in a deal worth up to £20 million.

This comes off the back of Spence performing superbly for Steve Cooper’s side while on loan over the last 12 months.

Without a doubt, this is a big blow to the Reds’ chances of survival in the Premier League next season as the wing-back was a crucial part of the team that earned promotion back to the top flight.

It will be their first campaign in the top division of English football since 1999, but Forest will have their work cut out for them in order to maintain their safety for another year.

However, recent reports have suggested that the club have already quickly moved on to identify other transfer targets as a replacement for Spence.

The likes of Neco Williams and Ainsley Maitland-Niles have been suggested as potential incomings to the side ahead of the new season.

Both would be ideal candidates to replace Spence should his move to Spurs be confirmed in the coming weeks.

Williams performed excellently while on loan with Fulham during the second half of the season and was Spence’s only equal in that position in the Championship in 2021-22.

 

 

Maitland-Niles has built up a solid CV with good experience playing for the likes of Arsenal, West Brom, and Roma in recent years.

A permanent move to Forest for either player would be a great next step in their career and both should fit nicely into Cooper’s style of play.

Given Spence may not be the only player that Forest fail to bring into the team on a permanent basis, this also bodes well for their potential transfer business elsewhere.

For instance, if James Garner cannot be secured for the upcoming campaign then this shows that the Reds can act quickly to identify alternatives that could fit well into the team.

This could be essential, with uncertainty surrounding whether Philip Zinckernagel and Keinan Davis will ply their trade at the City Ground again next season.