Nottingham Forest in pole position to sign Djed Spence amid ‘£100m’ claim – pundit
Nottingham Forest could win the race to sign Djed Spence this summer with the promise of regular Premier League football, according to Alex McLeish.
Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, the ex-Birmingham City and Rangers manager warned Forest not to repeat the mistake of Fulham who were relegated in the 2018-19 season after spending £100million in the transfer window.
Spence, 21, spent the 2021-22 season on loan at Forest and looks set to leave Middlesbrough permanently this summer.
Football Insider reported earlier this week (30 May) that Brentford and Tottenham are both interested in signing the right-back who has two years left on his Boro contract.
They are hoping to secure a fee of over £15million for Spence.
“They [Forest] definitely have to try something,” McLeish told Football Insider deputy editor Russell Edge.
“Watching the game, I thought ‘Whoever goes up here has to improve’.
“If I think back to Fulham a few years ago when they spent £100million and still went down.
“If they can be really shrewd with their signings or if it’s going to cost a lot of money.
“Fulham at the time brought in some players that I’d never heard of with massive fees.
“The recruitment has to be spot on if they are to survive in the Premier League.
“Spence will definitely go to the Premier League. You’d think he’d want to play every week and possibly choose Forest.
“If Conte says to him ‘I see you as one of my future stars’, these are the words that can change anything.”
In other news, Steve Cooper is wanted by Premier League clubs amid an ‘exciting’ Nottingham Forest claim.