Spence’s Career Trajectory and Potential Transfer
Djed Spence, a full-back for Tottenham Hotspur and England, has been linked with a potential move to Everton. Spence began his football career in Fulham‘s academy before moving to Middlesbrough for his senior breakthrough. He had a loan spell with Nottingham Forest before joining Tottenham in a transfer. Following further loan periods at Rennes, Leeds United, and Genoa, he has accumulated 13 England caps.
The right-back position has been a long-standing area of concern for Everton. Reports indicate that Spence is on Everton‘s radar. The club’s need for a new recruit has increased with the departure of long-serving captain Seamus Coleman.
Performance Analysis and Inter Milan Interest
Data from Comparisonator shows that Spence averaged more progressive runs per 90 minutes than any other player in his position last season, with 3.08. This figure places him ahead of Rayan Ait-Nouri of Manchester City (2.6) and Ferdi Kadioglu of Brighton & Hove Albion (2.48). He also possesses notable pace, with a maximum speed of 35.75km/h, only slightly behind Fulham‘s Antonee Robinson (35.92km/h).
When compared to Everton‘s current left-back, Vitalii Mykolenko, using Artificial Intelligence points over 378 parameters, Mykolenko scores higher overall, 219 to 174. Spence demonstrates dominance offensively, scoring 24.1 compared to Mykolenko‘s minus 1.52, and physically (311 to 293). However, Mykolenko leads in defensive metrics (95.72 to 52.44), duels (49.86 to 44.39), and passing (69.57 to 48.36).
In terms of physical attributes, Mykolenko covers a greater distance per 90 minutes (9.333km to 8.654km), but Spence produces more sprints (20.91 to 17.57). Offensively, Spence has more shots (0.47 to 0.19), shots on target (0.24 to 0.06), dribbles (2.65 to 0.91), and successful dribbles (1.52 to 0.47). Defensively, Mykolenko leads in ball recoveries (8.26 to 6.49), interceptions (4.05 to 3.32), and clearances (2.2 to 1.52).
For passing, Mykolenko records higher figures with more passes (35.64 to 35.15), successful passes (28.53 to 28.23), crosses (2.45 to 1.94), and successful crosses (0.99 to 0.52). In duels, Spence contests more (16.15 to 13.52) and wins more (7.52 to 6.86), but Mykolenko has a higher percentage won (51% to 47%).
Beyond Everton, Inter Milan is also reportedly interested in a summer deal for Spence. The Serie A club is looking for a replacement for Denzel Dumfries, and Spence is among the wing-backs they are considering. Spence played 44 games for Tottenham last season across all competitions and has featured in six matches for England at the ongoing World Cup. He spent the 2023-24 season on loan with Genoa in the Italian top-flight.
Spence’s Versatility and Tottenham’s Squad
Spence’s versatility is notable; out of his 265 career appearances at club level, 109 have been at right-back, making it his most frequent position. However, 32 of his 44 outings for Spurs last season were at left-back. This ability to play on both flanks could be appealing to clubs seeking defensive reinforcement.
Tottenham manager Roberto De Zerbi does not appear to have Spence in his plans for the next season. The North London club already has several options for full-back positions, including Pedro Porro, Destiny Udogie, Andy Robertson, Micky van de Ven, Ben Davies, and Archie Gray. This suggests that Tottenham may be open to selling Spence, which could lead to more clubs expressing interest.
Inter Milan, the reigning Serie A champions, will participate in the Champions League next season, an opportunity that could be attractive to Spence. The transfer fee for Spence could be a crucial factor in any potential deal.
Source: liverpoolecho.co.uk