In a season defined by injuries, miserable form and constant talk about the manager’s future, there hasn’t been an awful lot for Tottenham Hotspur fans to celebrate.
However, that doesn’t mean there have been no positive developments at all, as there have been a few players who have stepped up for Ange Postecoglou in this incredibly trying campaign.
For example, Dejan Kulusevski and Brennan Johnson have become more dangerous in attack, while Dominic Solanke – when fit – looks like he was more than worth the club’s record investment.
However, perhaps the most surprising positive has been the development of Djed Spence, who has become a key member of the team after it looked as if he was going to follow in the footsteps of another incredibly costly Spurs flop.
Spence's amazing recovery at Spurs
Tottenham decided to pay Middlesbrough around £20m for Spence in the summer of 2022 when Antonio Conte was still in the hot seat.
However, even though he wasn’t a cheap addition, the promising full-back wouldn’t become an even semi-regular part of the Lilywhites’ squad until more than two years after putting pen to paper, spending time on loan with Stade Rennais, Leeds United and Genoa in the meantime.
In fact, after spending the latter half of last season with the Italian side, it looked as if he’d make his move permanent in the summer.
Middlesbrough
70
2
0
Nottingham Forest
46
3
5
Tottenham
26
2
2
Genoa
16
0
0
Stade Rennais
10
0
0
Leeds United
7
0
0
Even when that didn’t happen, Postecoglou’s decision to exclude him from the club’s Europa League squad at the start of this season made it appear like he had no way into the first team.
However, after convincing the manager that he deserved a chance, and amid the club’s injury crisis, the 24-year-old was given a proper shot at carving out a role in the team – an opportunity he grabbed with both arms.
Since mid-December, the Englishman has become a vital component to the starting lineup, be that at right-back or left-back, as not only has he proven himself to be a sturdy and robust defender but also someone capable of marauding up the pitch, beating his man and delivering a brilliant cross.
In all, the “swashbuckling” star, as dubbed by Ian Wright, has made 20 appearances for the team, scoring two goals and providing two assists.
In short, Spence has established himself as one of Spurs’ best and most important players, someone more than worth his £50k-per-week contract, and has avoided following the path of a former Lilywhites full-back signed by Mauricio Pochettino, who cost the side millions.
What happened to Spurs' original Djed Spence
While there are a number of Spurs flops who were signed by Pochettino over the years, from Tanguy Ndombele to Vincent Janssen, the player in question was arguably even less impactful on the pitch.
Ryan Sessegnon completed his £25m move to Tottenham in the summer of 2019 from West London outfit Fulham, and while that seems like an incredible overpay today, it didn’t at the time.
Back then, the 19-year-old talent was seen as one of England’s most promising youngsters, having scored two goals and provided six assists in 35 top-flight games the season prior.
Moreover, despite being just 18 at the start of the 17/18 season, the “special” prospect, dubbed by former boss Slavisa Jokanovic, managed to rack up a brilliant haul of 16 goals and eight assists in just 52 first-team games.
So, with all that said, there was an understandable level of excitement when the Lilywhites secured his services, but unfortunately, such excitement would prove unjust.
Over the next five years, the Roehampton-born gem would face injury after injury, which ultimately saw him miss 798 days of action.
Across his four campaigns as a Tottenham player – he spent one season on loan with Hoffenheim – the Englishman scored just three goals and provided four assists in 57 appearances before returning to Craven Cottage for free last summer.
Transfer Fee
£25m
Wages (Total)
£55k-per-week (£11.4m)
Total
£36.4m
Appearances
57
Cost per Appearance
£638k
Goals
3
Cost per Goal
£12.1m
Assists
4
Cost per Assist
£9.1m
Goal Involvements
7
Cost per Goal Involvements
£5.2m
While that level of return is disappointing enough in its own right, it’s even worse when you consider that he earned around £8.4m in wages – £55k-per-week – for his four years in England, meaning his overall cost to the club was £36.4m including his fee.
In other words, the Fulham gem cost the North Londoners around £638k-per-appearance, £12.1m-per-goal, £9.1m-per-assist, and £5.2m-per-goal-involvement.
Ultimately, Sessegnon’s time at Tottenham cannot be described as anything other than a financial disaster, which, thankfully, cannot be said about Spence anymore.
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1 ByJack Salveson HolmesMar 3, 2025