On Thursday evening Leeds United announced that the loan of full-back Djed Spence would be coming to an end and that the defender would be returning to his parent club, Tottenham Hotspur.
The move comes as somewhat of a surprise as Spence, who is valued at eight million euros on Transfermarkt (approximately seven million pounds), had started five of Leeds’ last six league games.
Spence came through the youth ranks at Fulham where he made a handful of appearances in the Under-18 Premier League and Premier League 2 before moving to Middlesborough in July of 2018.
He made his debut for the Boro a month later in the EFL Cup before going on to establish himself in the Championship over the next two seasons, playing 70 times for the North Yorkshire giants.
It was in the 2021/22 season, when he was allowed to leave on loan by manager Neil Warnock, that Spence really made a name for himself at Nottingham Forest. He played 39 times in the Championship and registered two goals and five assists as Steve Cooper’s side were miraculously promoted after a bad start to the season.
This prompted Tottenham Hotspur to sign the young right-back for a fee in the region of £15-20 million. But, Spence couldn’t hold down a starting spot in a struggling Spurs side in the first half of the season, making just six substitute appearances in all competitions.
He was sent out on loan to Stade Rennais in France where he made ten appearances for the French club, including two in the Europa League.
Spence then joined the Whites on loan towards the end of the summer transfer window, just as Daniel Farke was beginning to get his side in order.
Unfortunately, the £1 million loan fee that the Peacocks paid for the defender has been wasted as injuries have limited the 23-year-old to just seven appearances, most of which have been during Leeds’ worst run since the start of the season.
Writer’s View
Spence’s career looks to be in a bit of jeopardy after failing at the level at which he previously thrived. However, his previous form in the Championship should be enough to tempt a team in the lower half of the table to sign him and that could allow him to get a consistent run of games and reach his best performance levels.
Leeds fans complained about lethargy and a lack of desire in his performances and, given the tremendous depth that the Whites have, they probably will not be sad to see him leave. It could mean that more opportunities are handed to the likes of Jamie Shackleton or Junior Firpo whilst Bright Osayi-Samuel has also been rumoured to be joining the club.
