Many in the wider world of football will feel that Tottenham Hotspur manager Antonio Conte has managed to pull of quite the coup as the club announced the capture of former Middlesbrough defender Djed Spence earlier today.

The 21-year-old right back becomes Conte's sixth signing of the summer following the arrivals of goalkeeper Fraser Forster, fellow defender Clement Lenglet, midfielder Yves Bissouma and forwards Ivan Perisic and Richarlison and you would probably get good odds on a Bet365 bonus code of Conte not being finished yet.

Most will recognise Spence's name from his hugely successful loan spell last season out with Nottingham Forest, as the England Under 21 international caught himself plenty of headlines with his performances across his 46 games for them as they won promotion back to the English top flight via the Wembley Play Off route - with him picking up Championship Player of the Month and Goal of the Month awards for March, as well as being named in the EFL and PFA Championship Team's of the Year.

Spence makes his move to White Hart Lane signing a five year deal for a reported initial fee of £12.5 million with a believed £7.5 million in add on bonuses, and given his performance levels last season many will feel that is a snip of a fee owing to his ultimate potential.

The player himself is clearly delighted with the move as he told the assembled media.

"It’s a dream come true to play in the Premier League at a big club like Tottenham Hotspur. It’s amazing, I’m thankful that I’m here and that I’m going to get the opportunity to play for this club. It’s been a long journey in my career so far, it’s been hard at times but it’s been good as well, and I’ve been working hard to get to where I am now. Of course, everyone wants to play in the Premier League. As a kid, you watch it from when you’re young so it was a target of mine and I’ve finally reached it, so I’m happy."

Spence went on to add.

"Obviously this is a big club with Champions League football as well, and you’ve got some of the best players who play here, so it’s a privilege to be here and I can’t wait to get going. From what I’ve seen here, it’s very good. I think it will do me good and help me develop as a player a lot (to be in this environment) and I can obviously learn from other people and the experience that they have. From a young age, to go from watching some of the players on TV to now playing with them… it’s going to be great and I’m excited to learn from them and take in anything they can offer me. In the Premier League you have high-intensity, good technical players – it will be hard but I think it will be good and I’m ready for the challenge. I’m excited to hit the ground running, hopefully play and try to impress. We have a great manager too – from what I’ve seen of him, he’s a top manager and I can’t wait to work under him."

His introduction to life at the club will be helped by the fact that when he was coming through Fulham's youth set up, he was in the same year group as Ryan Sessegnon, so there's already a familiar face to help him settle in.

Nottingham Forest's loss as they look for survival and consolidation in the 2022/23 Premier League campaign will be very much Tottenham's gain, and Forest will miss him in the year ahead.

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