England set to fight over Arsenal target Djed Spence's international allegiance

Djed Spence is rapidly emerging as one of the most exciting prospects in English football after catching the eye of many with his standout performances for Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup.

On loan from fellow Championship outfit Middlesbrough, Spence's club future has been the subject of intense speculation after interest from the likes of Arsenal has begun to emerge.

The Gunners saw first-hand how skilled Spence is when he pocketed Gabriel Martinelli during Forest's 1-0 third-round win over Arsenal last month.

The right-back followed that up with another stellar display against another Premier League side when Leicester City made the trip to the City Ground.

HAVE YOUR SAY! Where will Spence play his football next season? Comment below

Spence even got on the scoresheet as Steve Cooper's side ran riot when tasked with toppling the Foxes and eventually ran out 4-1 winners to book their place in the fifth round.

As a result, Arsenal are not alone in their interest with rivals Tottenham Hotspur, Inter Milan and Roma all also keeping tabs on the 21-year-old.

Whoever does try and pry Spence away from the Riverside will have to fork out a significant sum to do so given he recently penned a new contract that sees him tied to the club until the summer of 2024.

However, the topic in question most recently as who he will play his international football for given both of Spence's parents are of Jamaican descent.

In turn, this makes the young defender eligible to represent the country at international level and gives Jamaica the chance to steal him from under the noses of the Three Lions.

The Athletic report that Jamaica have already approached Spence to try and get an update on his allegiance.

Should the offer prove too tempting to turn down for Spence, it will be an easy pathway into the Jamaica national side given he is yet to represent England at any level so the decision will not need an extra clearing from FIFA.

While Gareth Southgate already has a wealth of options at right-back for the England senior side, Spence is thought to be under consideration for the Under-21 set-up.

However, the FA are reportedly reluctant to select Spence purely so he cannot represent Jamaica and will only call him up if they see a place for him in the side at any age group.

The next round of international fixtures take place next month and though Jamaica's hopes of qualification for the 2022 World Cup are over, they could use the break as a chance to give Spence his first taste of international football.