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Could Spence be Coleman successor

By Matt Townsend

MIDDLESBROUGH, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 19: Djed Spence of Middlesbrough battles for possession with Philip Billing of AFC Bournemouth during the Sky Bet Championship match between Middlesbrough and AFC Bournemouth at Riverside Stadium on September 19, 2020 in Middlesbrough, England. Middlesbrough Football Club are allowing limited number of spectators (1000) to be in attendance as Covid-19 pandemic restrictions are eased. (Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images)
MIDDLESBROUGH, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 19: Djed Spence of Middlesbrough battles for possession with Philip Billing of AFC Bournemouth during the Sky Bet Championship match between Middlesbrough and AFC Bournemouth at Riverside Stadium on September 19, 2020 in Middlesbrough, England. Middlesbrough Football Club are allowing limited number of spectators (1000) to be in attendance as Covid-19 pandemic restrictions are eased. (Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images) /
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In a day of renewed transfer speculation and rumours, Everton have been linked with a move for a young full-back at Middlesborough.

This player is right-back Djed Spence. The 20-year-old came to Boro from Fulham and has been impressing at the Riverside recently since his 2018 move up north. Everton are now apparently interested in him.

The Englishman has been in good form and making a name for himself and now supposedly the Toffees are one of several Premier League clubs interested in moving for him in January.

Seamus Coleman’s future has long been in doubt with his form fluctuating after his spate of serious injuries and Everton were heavily and consistently linked with a move for a right-back throughout the summer transfer window.

In particular stories kept surfacing of moves for Santiago Arias and Alessandro Florenzi, but in the end neither prospective move came off.

Long term the Blues do need to find a successor to the Irishman given his age and past injury problems, although since the start of this season he has been in superb form.

The one obvious prospective candidate to succeed him is Jonjo Kenny, but he hasn’t convinced he can step up in the Premier League and ultimately his future seems away from Goodison Park.

The Toffees also signed Ben Godfrey from Norwich City on deadline day. The England Under-21 player is primarily a centre=back but he can also play full-back or in midfield.

Godfrey got his chance for an unexpected debut in the Merseyside derby when Coleman went off in the first-half suffering from a recurrence of his most recent injury problem.

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He did well in that match in a primarily defensive role but the following week against Southampton he wasn’t as effective and in particular didn’t provide the support to James Rodriguez that Coleman has been doing.

So stories such as these make sense in that context and rumours like this will no doubt continue to surface from time to time.

Spence is a full-back who likes to get forward and attack. A player like him would be in theory a good longer-term option as he’s young enough to develop further and have sell-on value.

According to Transfermarkt.co.uk, he would also be very affordable if his current market value is anything to go by.

The usual caveat applies with this story and it seems a stretch to imagine that Everton will be making such a move in January. But he’s the type of player who fits the club’s profile and those stories in the summer about signing a right-back were very persistent.

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