Djed Spence: The Middlesbrough man attracting Arsenal interest after Forest form

The 21-year-old wing-back is currently enjoying a wonderful time on loan at Nottingham Forest where he's showing the sort of form that leads to significant interest from the Premier League.

Clubs such as Arsenal, Tottenham, Inter Milan and Roma are said to be keen on the Middlesbrough player and based on current form, it seems that it's only a matter of time until he secures a big move for himself.

So who is Djed Spence? talkSPORT.com takes a look at one of the Championship's most in-demand young stars.

Djed Spence: Profile

Born on August 9, 2000, Spence is an English-Jamaican footballer who isn't the only famous member of his family with his sister being actress Karla-Simone Spence who appeared in the film 'Blue Story'.

Spence started his footballing career with South London side Junior Elite where he played alongside Emile Smith Rowe for a club who also produced Manchester United's Aaron Wan Bissaka.

He then joined the Fulham academy system, before moving to Middlesbrough in the summer of 2018 shortly before his 18th birthday. It was there that he quickly started to show his potential as a truly exciting young player.

Djed Spence: Middlesbrough and Neil Warnock

After making his senior debut in 2018, Spence was fast-tracked into the first team set-up in the 2019/20 season under the leadership of Jonathan Woodgate.

Following a brilliant debut in a 1-0 home win over Charlton Athletic, Spence went on to make 22 appearances in the second half of the season under Woodgate and his successor as Middlesbrough boss, Neil Warnock.

Attention from Jose Mourinho and Premier League side Tottenham emerged, but Warnock was keen to stress that the young player was not yet ready to move on, saying: "I remember having a chat with Nathaniel Clyne at Palace.

"Wolves wanted him, who were in the Premier League at that stage. I said to him you're better off having another season and getting some games and experience under your belt.

"Djed is like that. And no disrespect to him, I don't think he's ready to go straight into a Premier League team.

"He needs more games under his belt, coming up against people like today, the wide lads for Cardiff, Hoilett and Mendez-Laing.

"They're difficult players and playing against people like that will give him the experience that he needs."

A first team regular for the first half of the 2020/21 season, Spence started to see his game time drop, with Warnock referencing his mindset as a potential stumbling block in his fulfilling his undoubted potential.

Asked if Spence was starting to kick on, Warnock said: "Up to a point, but I think there's so much more he could do.

"There are not many players where you can say it's all up to them personally how far they go - it's what's between the ears. He could be playing at a top club in England or in non-league in five years, I don't know.

"Application, dedication, all these things come into it. He's got the tools, there's no doubt about that."

The right wing-back played a bit-part role in the second half of the season, something that led to a summer of speculation over his future.

Djed Spence: Nottingham Forest and Premier League interest

Despite showing glimpses of promise during pre-season, Warnock allowed Spence to leave the club for a season-long loan deal with Nottingham Forest, explaining: "I let him go.

"He needed to sort himself out, really."I basically said to him that you can go to the top or you can go non-league.

"I think Steve Cooper is the manager for him, to be honest. He has let him go forward more often, which suits his game."

Since moving to the City Ground, Spence has certainly relished his newfound freedom on the right side of midfield, a role that has seen him show his best for Steve Cooper's attack-minded side.

His growing confidence has been highlighted by some impressive performances in the FA Cup against Arsenal and Leicester City, with Ian Wright discussing a conversation that he had with the player in the aftermath of Forest's victory over the Gunners.

Speaking on the Wrighty's House Podcast, Wright explained: "I saw him after the game and said 'listen, my friend. You're on loan from Middlesbrough and I don't know what's happened there, because if you can't get into the Middlesbrough side, I don't know what's wrong, so I need to know the full story'.

"But let me say, that was one of the best right-back performances I have seen for a very long time. A very long time.

"If we are talking about right-backs performing at an unbelievable level, we're talking Reece James and Trent (Alexander-Arnold).

"But I have not seen a combative, technical, swashbuckling performance like that for a very long time.

"I said to him afterwards, 'whatever's happening, whatever you're doing, the level you've just shown us here is the level you have to be consistently hitting, Djed'.

"I said that to him at the end of that game and all his family were there, and they were saying 'yes! Listen, man! Listen!'

"I said to him, in all seriousness, 'that level we saw there? You should be in the Premier League'. Simple as that."

Djed Spence: Premier League interest

Given the caliber of his performances, it's little surprise to see Spence being linked with Europe's top clubs.

Arsenal, Spurs, Inter and Mourinho's Roma have all been linked with a move for the player.

Someone who appears destined to be in the Premier League next season, his future could be complicated by the fact that parent club Middlesbrough are challenging for promotion, while Forest also have an outside chance of reaching the play-offs.

Should Chris Wilder's Boro go up they're unlikely to want to lose the player, while Forest will also fancy their chances of signing him if they were promoted, given just how much Spence has enjoyed his time there.

If Spence does move on then it'll be for a significant sum of money, with his former manager Woodgate claiming that he could be worth as much as £25million.

With just 12 months left on his contract at the end of the season, it's certain to be a busy summer for the 21-year-old as he weighs up the next stop in his career, however he'll only fulfill his potential if he can show his undoubted quality on a consistent basis.