Djed Spence Interested in Liverpool Move as Tottenham Sets £35m Price

Liverpool’s search for defensive reinforcements has a new, willing protagonist. Djed Spence, fresh from enhancing his reputation with England and one of Tottenham’s standout performers last season, is understood to be keen on a move to Anfield – but Spurs are in no mood to let him go cheaply.

Liverpool’s defensive puzzle

Andoni Iraola’s first summer in charge has already brought Victor Munoz and Jeremy Jacquet through the door, and Liverpool’s recruitment team remain locked on attacking targets such as PSG duo Bradley Barcola and Ibrahim Mbaye. The need for a winger is clear. The need for defenders is urgent.

Jacquet, Virgil van Dijk, Giovanni Leoni and Joe Gomez are all currently unavailable for various reasons, leaving Liverpool’s back line stripped of both depth and leadership. Full-back is a particular concern, with right-back options under scrutiny and the wider defensive structure looking fragile.

That combination has pushed a new full-back and a centre-back high up the club’s agenda before the window shuts. Spence, still only in the early stages of his prime years but already an England international, has emerged as a live option.

Spence open to Anfield switch

Spence’s stock has climbed sharply. He impressed on the international stage at the World Cup and was among Tottenham’s more reliable performers last season, even in a campaign that often asked questions of the squad around him.

Yet his path to regular minutes in north London is anything but straightforward. With Pedro Porro and Andy Robertson expected to be Tottenham’s preferred full-back pairing next season, Spurs are prepared to listen to offers for Spence if their conditions are met.

According to Anfield Sector, the defender is “extremely receptive” to the idea of joining Liverpool this summer. The report outlines Liverpool’s interest and underlines Iraola’s concerns over his current right-back options. Spence is not the only name on the list, and there is no guarantee talks will advance, but the interest is genuine, even if those at Anfield are playing it down in public.

The player, crucially, is said to be very open to the move.

The price of potential

Interest is one thing. Meeting Tottenham’s valuation is another.

Spurs reporter @szyexcl has indicated that the club would seek at least £35m for Spence in this window, a figure that reflects both his age and his status as a current England international. For a club still rebuilding key areas of its squad, Tottenham see little sense in a cut-price sale.

Not everyone believes £35m is enough. Former Premier League scout Bryan King argued last month that selling Spence for anything below £50m would be a mistake.

“I think he’s done well every time he’s played for England. They’d be foolish to let him go for £25m, that is for sure,” King said. “You wouldn’t let him go for £25m. You wouldn’t even start thinking about letting him go for under £50m.

“We’re talking about a young, current England international. It’s a situation where Tottenham would be stupid to let him go.”

Tottenham’s internal stance appears to sit somewhere between the two markers: a public line of “at least £35m,” with the knowledge that a strong market could push that figure higher.

A test of Liverpool’s resolve

For Liverpool, the equation is sharp. They need defensive quality now. They want players who can contribute immediately but still grow under Iraola. Spence fits that profile, and he wants the move.

The question is whether Liverpool are prepared to pay Tottenham’s price for a defender whose best years are still ahead of him – or whether they walk away and risk watching a Premier League rival cash in on a player who might yet become one of the division’s standout full-backs.