"Told..": Journo reveals Paratici now "very close" to Spurs deal, Arteta will be livid - opinion

Tottenham Hotspur are closing in on a deal to bring Djed Spence to north London this summer.

That’s according to Alex Crook, with the talkSPORT journalist revealing on Twitter that he has been told that Tottenham’s reported £20m move for the Middlesbrough right-back is now very close to being completed.

Further reports claimed that Fabio Paratici is hoping to confirm the 21-year-old’s arrival early next week, with it now appearing most likely that the England under-21 international will become Spurs’ third signing of the summer, following the arrivals of Ivan Perisic and Fraser Forster.

In his tweet, Crook said: “Told Djed Spence to Tottenham is very close to being done.”

Considering just how exciting a prospect Spence undoubtedly is, and with the signing of a new right wing-back reported to be one of Antonio Conte’s priorities in the summer transfer window, Crook’s claim that Tottenham are now close to sealing a deal for the defender is undoubtedly fantastic news for the club.

Indeed, over his 42 Championship appearances while on loan at Nottingham Forest in 2021/22, the £7.2m-rated talent was in astonishing form. He bagged two goals, registered five assists and created six big chances for his team-mates, along with averaging one key pass, 0.6 shots and 1.8 successful dribbles per match.

The £4.4k-per-week full-back also impressed in metrics more typical of his position, making 1.5 tackles, 1.6 interceptions and 1.4 clearances and winning 5.8 duels per game.

These figures saw the 21-year-old earn a quite breathtaking seasonal WhoScored match rating of 7.05, ranking him as Steve Cooper’s sixth-best performer in the Championship as he played a crucial role in Forest sealing promotion to the Premier League.

Furthermore,