Tottenham have been dealt a blow in any potential pursuit of Djed Spence this summer, as it has been revealed that his contract actually runs until 2024, not the widely reported 2023.

The right-back on loan from Middlesbrough has been impressing during Nottingham Forest’s FA Cup run to date, helping the midlands side see off both Arsenal and current holders Leicester City in consecutive rounds.

Such have been his performances that they have caught the eye of many clubs, not least Tottenham and Arsenal. Football.London, however, report that a move to Arsenal is unlikely and that they lag behind Tottenham in the chase for his signature.

Looking to upgrade Antonio Conte’s side further come the summer, right-wing back has clearly been identified as a position of need in north London, with Adama Traore heavily chased before he was ultimately snatched away by Barcelona in the dying days of the January transfer window.

Spence set to cost a lot

However, any attempts to get Spence in on the cheap this summer will flounder, according to Teeside Live.

They report that Middlesbrough extended their talent’s contract by a year before sending him out on loan to Forest, meaning that it now expires in 2024 as opposed to the widely assumed 2023 that it was previously.

This means that it will cost significantly more to get the 21-year-old out of Teeside, even if Boro do not seal promotion back to the top flight.

With deals for Cristian Romero and potentially Pierluigi Gollini to go through this summer, it is unclear what budget Antonio Conte will be working with come the transfer window. Meanwhile, they have already splashed out £25 million on Emerson Royal, making it unlikely that they would want to spend similarly on his replacement.

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