Genoa CEO Andres Blazquez has revealed that Djed Spence had been a long-term target for the Italian side, revealing that they failed with a move for the Tottenham man during last summer’s transfer window.
Spence joined Genoa on a loan deal until the end of the season, with the Italian club having the option to sign him permanently for £8.5m in the summer (Fabrizio Romano).
While the deal was announced separately from the Radu Dragusin one, with the Romanian moving in the opposite direction, it was reported by a number of outlets that Spence was used as a sweetener by the North London side to land the centre-back (The Athletic).
Various sources have indicated over the past couple of weeks that Ange Postecoglou had been far from impressed with the 23-year-old’s attitude and his lack of focus during training (The Standard’s Dan Kilpatrick), with some journalists even suggesting that the defender had already played his final game for the Lilywhites (Martin Lipton – The Spurs Show podcast).
Genoa are interested in Djed Spence transfer
Blazquez has now shed light on Genoa’s signing of the former Middlesbrough man, revealing that they wanted to bring him to the club last summer but found him to be too expensive at the time.
The Italian club’s chief told La Repubblica: “Then came Vitina, who has an important contract and is a ready player, and Spence, who we looked for in the summer, but who had a prohibitive cost and I believe he will give us satisfaction.”
Blazquez also sent a big hint that the Serie A side will take up the option to sign Spence permanently at the end of the season.
Speaking about the right-back, the Genoa CEO told Gazzetta dello Sport (as relayed by Sport Witness): “He can be an important acquisition for the future.”
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Spence has made a solid start to his life at the Luigi Ferraris Stadium, having started each of Genoa’s last three matches. Given the relatively modest option to buy attached to the loan deal, one would expect the Italian club to activate it at the end of the season.