Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho keen on Middlesbrough’s Djed Spence

According to a report from ESPN, Tottenham Hotspur manager Jose Mourinho is intent on signing Middlesbrough defender Djed Spence in the summer transfer window.

The 19-year-old Spence came through the youth ranks at Fulham, where he spent time with Mourinho’s son, Jose Jr.. The report states that the Spurs’ boss heard positive reviews about the teenager from his son. He has been monitoring his progress ever since and has grown into an admirer.

Spence joined Middlesbrough from Tottenham in the summer of 2018 and made his first-team debut in August that year. However, it is the ongoing campaign during which the right-back has seen regular time for the Teessiders. So far in 2019/20, Spence has featured 22 times for the first-team, scoring one goal.

Only recently, Middlesbrough manager Neil Warnock compared the teenager to Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold and Manchester United’s Aaron Wan-Bissaka. (h/t ESPN)

“If you look at one or two of the full-backs that are around now – the lad at Liverpool, Trent Alexander-Arnold, and the lad at Manchester United from Palace [Aaron Wan-Bissaka] – they are all the same type as Djed. He does have enormous ability.”

Spence still has three years left on his contract with Boro, having signed an extension earlier this February. However, with interest from Premier League, the teenager might be tempted to make the jump. Middlesbrough, too, would be open to offloading him for a transfer fee of £10m. (h/t ESPN)

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Tottenham, though, are not the only Premier League club interested in Spence. The likes of West Ham, Brighton, Burnley and Southampton are all monitoring the teenage right-back. (h/t ESPN)

Tottenham are in the market for a new right-back, with the futures of both Kyle Walker-Peters and Serge Aurier far from certain. (h/t ESPN)

It, however, remains to be seen if the club do make a move for the 19-year-old Spence.