Middlesbrough right-back Djed Spence, who is currently on loan at Nottingham Forest, has been on the radar of several Premier League clubs in recent weeks.
Middlesbrough loaned Spence to Forest in the summer after falling down the pecking order behind the likes of Isaiah Jones and Anfernee Dijksteel.
But since making the switch to the City Ground he has been a revelation under Steve Cooper.
When Cooper took over from Chris Hughton, Nottingham Forest were bottom of the league, but now they find themselves two points outside of the play-offs and Spence has been key in the club’s resurgence.
The 21-year-old found himself at the centre of interest from Arsenal, Southampton, Inter Milan and Roma initially, before two bids were rejected from Tottenham on Deadline Day. Leeds United and Brentford have since been linked with a summer swoop.
Reports state that Middlesbrough have set an asking price of £12 million for the versatile full-back and given he is surplus to requirements at the Riverside, he could move away from Teesside at the end of the season.
However, one club he is unlikely to move to is Arsenal. According to Football London, Mikel Arteta’s side have already made a decision on Spence and will not look to make a move for Nottingham Forest loanee in the summer. This is due to Spence’s attributes not fitting the the Gunners’ system.
Football London state that Kieran Tierney’s marauding runs down the left mean that Arteta prefers a more defensive full-back on the opposite side.
