Daniel Farke’s recent transfer news will greatly irritate Leeds United supporters: Look at
Djed Spence has returned to his parent club Tottenham Hotspur from Leeds United.
- Leeds United terminate the loan deal of right-back Djed Spence, citing his failure to meet the team’s standards of professionalism.
- Spence’s departure is a blow for Leeds, who were hoping he would be a transformative signing and upgrade their right-back position.
- Spence’s limited playing time and out-of-position appearances hindered his ability to prove his worth at Leeds, leaving fans wondering what could have been.
- Leeds United are facing a potentially busy January in terms of outgoings, with Djed Spence already confirmed as a departure by returning to his parent club, Tottenham Hotspur
- They have yet to sign someone, and haven’t sold or loaned anyone yet, either; however, the Whites have instead opted to terminate the loan deal of the right-back, who arrived back in August from Spurs on a season-long loan.
Even though Leeds boss Daniel Farke has explained that was nothing major that led to Spence’s exit from Elland Road, he did hint that the defender did not meet the standards that the team had set this season when it came to professionalism.
Speaking via The Yorkshire Evening Post, he said: “Listen, in the summer we came here in order to create and to bring new values and to create a new culture within the club and when we speak about a player if he’s on here on a permanent or a loan deal, we have expectations and these expectations are in several topics important.
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“Obviously, it’s important, the potential and the quality of the player but also it’s professionalism, it’s discipline, it’s workload on and off the pitch and also the soft skills, so also if he’s positive and committed, good for the group and engaged with these topics, paint then more or less a picture..
- “And we decided okay, this is the player we want in our group and want to represent Leeds United, our demands are very, very high and we don’t differ between loan players, permanent players so we are pretty picky in this topic.”
It comes as a blow for Leeds, with Football Insider reporting back in the summer that Spurs were said to be demanding a loan fee in excess of £1 million to take Spence away from the capital for a season, which Leeds went on to activate late on in the transfer window.
The 23-year-old has previously spent time out on loan Stade Rennais, but was not altogether convincing in France, featuring just 10 times and losing his place in the starting line-up for the final months of the campaign. However, the second tier could have been the exact move needed to rejuvenate a stalling year of his career, with his spell at Nottingham Forest extremely productive two seasons ago.
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Djed Spence’s failed Leeds move
- Spence came to West Yorkshire with enormous expectation, as he evidently looked like the club’s best right-back on paper, and his short cameo against Sheffield Wednesday earlier in the season proved that. However, his start to life at his new side stalled due to a knee injury keeping him out for around 10 weeks.
He was only able to complete around 10 minutes of football in the early parts of the season, and, despite Luke Ayling, Sam Byram, and Jamie Shackleton all being capable of operating at right-back, none have the quality Spence has shown at this level before with Forest. Right-back has been a problem area for Leeds this season, too.
- The 23-year-old would start for almost every side in the league and is a serious upgrade in terms of quality and speed as well. The Whites have had to deploy Archie Gray as their right-back this season, despite the fact he is a central-midfielder, and also in his first season as a professional at the age of just 17.
Spence is quicker and more physical than Gray, meaning his recovery speed to get back could have been more optimal tactically, with pace a particular area of concern within Leeds’ backline
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Leeds may have made a mistake
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Spence could have been a transformative signing for Farke’s side, and the Whites could come to regret the decision. Farke likes his right-back to play extremely high and wide to support the attack, and that should have suited Spence perfectly in this team, especially when remembering how he was deployed for Nottingham Forest, albeit as a wing-back.
Leeds are expected to have the lion’s share of possession in most Championship fixtures this season and Spence slots straight into that position and upgrades it. Byram has operated well in both full-back roles and understands Farke’s tactics perfectly, having been together at Norwich, but is best in the inverted left-back role, which Junior Firpo has also been strong in playing when fit.
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The last time Spence played at this level, he made the Championship Team of the Season in 2020/21, playing in 46 games in all competitions for Forest, scoring three goals and collecting a further five assists. You wouldn’t have bet against him doing similar with Leeds, but he was barely given the chance..