Tottenham decided against signing a replacement for Djed Spence in the summer.
Tottenham Hotspur enjoyed a club-record transfer spend in the summer, signing as many as 10 players to overhaul Roberto De Zerbi’s squad after a disastrous last season. However, one position the club bosses failed to address is the right-back.
Djed Spence was sold to Inter Milan in the summer that shocked plenty of supporters and pundits. The full-back had a strong World Cup with England, and off the back of it, he was expected to realistically challenge Pedro Porro for a spot in the first XI. However, Roberto De Zerbi seemingly could not assure him regular minutes, and Spence decided to move on from Spurs.
Inter Milan agreed on a £27m deal with Tottenham for the England international, leaving De Zerbi with Porro as the only natural right-back in the squad. After winning the 2026 World Cup, Porro deservedly enjoyed an extended vacation and joined the Spurs camp in August.
The Spaniard missed the Brentford game due to a lack of fitness, before a minor muscle strain kept him out of the league fixture against Everton and the Carabao Cup trip to Liverpool. He returned to the first XI on Saturday against Aston Villa, only to be substituted in the 19th minute with an injury.
Ex-scout thinks Archie Gray is paying the price for Tottenham’s summer mistake
Archie Gray replaced Porro at right-back, as the Lilywhites were beaten 3-2 by Aston Villa at home. The Englishman isn’t a natural full-back, but has emerged as Porro’s deputy after the club bosses failed to replace Spence. As a result, the 20-year-old has not had an opportunity to operate from midfield, his favoured position, and continues to fill in at right-back.
Former scout Bryan King thinks Archie Gray is now paying the price for Tottenham’s failure to replace Spence in the summer transfer window.
“He came off after 19 minutes, Porro, so I don’t think there’s any dispute why Archie Gray had to come off the bench and had to play,” Bryan King exclusively told Football Insider.
“He is a very versatile player, the boy, but it’s difficult when you lose a player of that quality like Porro. But again, Archie Gray always does a good job for Tottenham.
“He’s a player who’s not after attention. He always gets on with the job, and he came on and did a reasonable job again.
“But I’m still trying to work out why they got rid of Spence. Full England international. £25m. There could have been other players moved on from Tottenham before him. Spence had a good World Cup. He became an established international and to move him on for that kind of money, I don’t know.”
Gray to continue at right-back after international break
Latest reports suggest Porro has suffered a hamstring injury and could be out for up to a month. This will rule Porro out for the Premier League games against Manchester United and Coventry City. If his rehabilitation goes properly, the Spaniard will be available for the trip to Chelsea on October 24.
The likeliest candidate to replace Porro after the international break is Gray. Due to not being a natural full-back, Gray has struggled to cope with rapid and tricky wingers this season. However, the England Under-21 international never moans or groans and tries to deliver his best every time he steps onto the pitch.
So, expect De Zerbi to persist with Gray at right-back against Man United at Old Trafford.
