Phil Hay details off-field Djed Spence concern at Leeds United before returning to Tottenham Hotspur

Before being sent back to Tottenham Hotspur, Djed Spence was supposed to attend an off-field event at Leeds United. However, he did not show up.

Daniel Farke was concerned about his in-game performances and his tardiness at training sessions, according to an article published on January 13 by sports journalist Phil Hay.

Despite his seeming politeness on the training ground, the Germans opted not to use him for the remainder of the season because of these problems.

Sources with knowledge of the matter, who spoke anonymously to preserve relationships, told Hay that Farke’s main worry with Spence had been his performance levels in games.

However, there were more problems as well, such as Spence showing up late for certain team meetings and training sessions and skipping an off-field event, which raised concerns even though Spence generally behaved well and cheerfully on the training pitch.

Right call

Due to a mix of attitude and fitness issues, the Whites made the right call in ending Spence’s loan period and returning him to Spurs.

It was unacceptable that he missed an off-field event and arrived late for some training sessions and team meetings.

Although the athlete showed kindness and courtesy on the practice field, his off-field actions and inconsistent fulfilment of team obligations turned into serious problems, and that is not how things work at the top of the game.

In related news

Leeds United transfer news as Marseille update on Josh Doig emerges

Josh Doig, a Scotland youth international, agreed to an agreement to join Marseille this month, thus Gianluca Di Marzio reports that Leeds United will not be getting any help from him.

On Friday, January 12, the Italian writer announced on his website that the French powerhouses and Hellas Verona had reached an agreement for the signing of the Scottish youth international, who would cost £4.3 million and be ready to play soon.

The 21-year-old defender was allegedly a target for Daniel Farke’s team earlier in the January transfer window [Yorkshire Evening Post, January 13]. The Whites were looking to bolster their full-back options after losing Luke Ayling and Djed Spence early in the month.

Onto the next

Though it’s abundantly obvious that Doig won’t be the difference-maker at Elland Road, Leeds United does need new options at full-back. It was always going to be difficult for the Whites to win the race for the 21-year-old defender’s signing because of the strong interest he was receiving from around Europe.

It’s unclear if Leeds would have been prepared to pay up to £4 million for a left-back this month. Elland Road’s first recommendation is that, in the middle of the season, the loan market is a more practical choice.

Farke has plenty of options when it comes to left back. Although neither Sam Byram nor Junior Firpo has a great injury history, they have both performed well when healthy this season, and Leeds has played with just one of them available for extended periods of time.

After missing out on the Scottish youth international, Doig should have been one of the Whites’ many possible left-back targets. Now that they have moved on to the next player on their list, they can perhaps forget about this lost opportunity.