Antonio Conte reveals signing Djed Spence at Tottenham Hotspur was not his idea
Tottenham Hotspur have signed Djed Spence from Middlesbrough in a deal that will see them pay an initial fee of £12.5million. He became the club’s sixth summer signing after Richarlison, Fraser Forster, Clement Lenglet, Yves Bissouma, and Ivan Perisic.
Spence had a great time in the Championship on loan at Nottingham Forest. The young Englishman helped them win promotion to the Premier League and played a big part in their success down the right flank.
But Antonio Conte has now revealed that it wasn’t his idea to sign Spence, but that the club were the ones who suggested it. The Italian told reporters in South Korea last week (h/t the Evening Standard):
“Spence is an investment of the club. The club wanted to do it. I said okay, this player is young but he showed he can become a good, important player for us. The club decided to buy him.”
What does it mean?
Such a comment could be interpreted by some as the Italian manager’s lack of confidence in the youngster. He has either tried to credit the club for finding a top-quality player, or washed his hands of any responsibility if the move doesn’t work out.
But such a thought would be needlessly pessimistic. If the Italian boss didn’t want to sign the right-back, he could have conveyed that to Daniel Levy and Fabio Paratici.
If the move has taken place, it is safe to say that Conte is on board with the club’s idea. Furthermore, he has accepted that the player has shown the quality to become a quality player in the future.
More Tottenham Hotspur News
- Bayern Munich chief responds to transfer links with Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane
- Tottenham Hotspur are interested in signing Leicester City’s James Maddison
- Transfer News: Tottenham Hotspur table a bid to Barcelona for Memphis Depay
He is, of course, still young. Emerson Royal and Matt Doherty are already at the club and it remains to be seen if Conte trusts Spence straightaway or lets him learn from the sidelines before giving him a runout.
