By Anthony Onifade

26th Jan, 2023 | 7:04am

West Ham United unlikely to sign Tottenham ace Djed Spence over strained boardroom relationship

West Ham have been linked with a loan move for Tottenham Hotspur full-back Djed Spence, but any deal is unlikely with the two clubs not having the best relationships at boardroom level, according to Claret & Hugh.

According to Alasdair Gold [Football.London, 25 January], the Hammers are one of a number of clubs interested in taking the 22-year-old on loan, with Spurs prepared [90Min, 24 January] to let him leave temporarily.

Spence has been on the periphery for Spurs since his move during the summer, with manager Antonio Conte admitting that the former Nottingham Forest loanee was not his signing [Nottingham Post, 28 August].

With Spurs looking to offload the full-back for the remainder of the campaign, it is unlikely he’ll move to East London, according to Claret & Hugh [25 January].

They report that because of the two club’s strained relationship at boardroom level, any deal for Spence “remains to be seen” with negotiations “strained in the past”.

Missed opportunity

With Vladimir Coufal’s immediate future at the London Stadium uncertain, the Hammers will desperately need a long-term replacement to challenge Ben Johnson at full-back.

And in Djed Spence, they could have a right-back duo they can equally rely on for many years to come. If a potential deal cannot be approached because of this reported strained relationship, then it’s a serious missed opportunity for the Hammers.

Spurs are clearly looking past Spence with their current negotiations for Pedro Porro which leaves potential suitors with a clear run at ending the player’s nightmare in North London.

Considering his quality and huge potential, the Hammers must quickly bury the hatchet and snap him up both for the remainder of the season, and look to sign him permanently in the summer.