Djed Spence’s World Cup moment costs Spurs over a million as secret deal comes to light
Djed Spence made his first start for England in their World Cup match against Ghana, and it’s set to cost his club, Tottenham Hotspur, a big fee. The 25-year-old was picked by coach Thomas Tuchel to play left-back during England’s 0-0 draw on Tuesday.
Spence had come on as a substitute late in England’s opening 4-2 win over Croatia and did well enough to earn a starting spot against Ghana in Boston. Although he didn’t make a huge impact on Tuesday, many players in the England lineup had a similar quiet game. Tuchel was even seen on the sidelines giving Spence and left winger Anthony Gordon a talking-to during the second half, and both were taken off just minutes later.
Like Spence, O’Reilly made a positive impact when he came on for him at 65 minutes, so both players will likely compete for a starting spot in England’s next group game against Panama.
Meanwhile, Spurs are facing a seven-figure payout to Spence’s former club Middlesbrough, thanks to a clause from the £20 million transfer deal they made in 2022. According to Teeside Live, Middlesbrough will get £2 million after Spence starts two competitive England games. He already started in England’s 5-0 World Cup qualifying win over Latvia last October.
Middlesbrough might also benefit from another deal involving Spurs’ rivals Arsenal. The Gunners are interested in Morgan Rogers, a player currently with Aston Villa but who started at Middlesbrough before signing with Villa earlier this year for up to £15 million. Due to a sell-on clause, Middlesbrough could get around 20% of any future sale of Rogers, which might be quite a lot if he moves to Arsenal for a big fee.
Journalist Ben Jacobs mentioned that Villa may need to sell a player this summer to meet Premier League financial rules. He said Villa are in a strong position to either keep or sell Rogers for close to £100 million, but they need a big sale to balance their books and meet Financial Fair Play requirements, especially with Champions League football on the horizon.