Tottenham Hotspur managing director Fabio Paratici spotted scouting Djed Spence and Brennan Johnson
According to football.london reporter Alasdair Gold on Youtube, Tottenham Hotspur managing director Fabio Paratici was spotted at the City Ground on Sunday scouting Nottingham Forest pair Djed Spence and Brennan Johnson as they faced off against defending champions Leicester City in the FA Cup.
Both youngsters started the game against the Foxes and were at their brilliant best, helping their team to a 4-1 thrashing of the Premier League side. With this, Forest progressed to the fifth round of the FA Cup.
Paratici certainly picked the right match to go to, as the young Forest duo gave him a treat. Both players were on the scoresheet as Nottingham caused an upset for the second round in a row.
While Johnson came through the ranks at the club’s academy and is a regular fixture at City Ground, Spence is only spending the season on loan at Forest and is expected to head back to his parent club Middlesbrough in the summer.
Premier League links
This isn’t the first time the duo’s name has popped up on a Premier League club’s radar, with Johnson heavily linked with a move to Brentford in recent months while Spence is rumoured to be a big target for Spurs in the upcoming summer transfer window.
It is claimed that a £12m bid could force Boro to part with Spence, as the Lilywhites aim to sign the full-back who has previously been linked with Tottenham. Winger Johnson too has earned plaudits for his performances this season, and the duo could soon be heading to make their mark in the Premier League.
There would naturally be concerns about a top-flight side like Spurs scouting talent in the lower divisions like the Championship to bolster their squads, as with Johnson and Spence. It is always difficult to adjust to life in the Premier League, especially for young stars like the Forest duo.
However, it must be remembered that these bright starlets are the ones who have already knocked out Arsenal and Leicester City this season in the FA Cup, which is a huge testament to their ability. The Foxes saw their title defence end at the hands of Forest on Sunday.
More Tottenham Hotspur News
- Fans react as Tottenham Hotspur to face Middlesbrough away in the fifth round of the FA Cup
- Former Tottenham Hotspur player Robbie Keane speaks out on Spurs’ Champions League hopes at the end of the season
- Tottenham Hotspur manager Antonio Conte praises forward Harry Kane’s ‘attitude and commitment’ after brace in the FA Cup
After spending the January transfer window signing midfield options in the form of Dejan Kulusevski and Rodrigo Bentancur, it may be time for Tottenham to look for reinforcements in attack and defence. In Johnson and Spence, the club would be getting a fine young winger and full-back respectively.
Although a gamble for Spurs, it may be well worth the risk to splash the cash on these highly-rated young talents, especially given their remarkable FA Cup run where they have proven to be capable of competing against the big boys. It remains to be seen whether Paratici is impressed with what he saw on display with his own eyes on Sunday, and will go all out to land them in the summer.
