Liverpool Target Djed Spence as Defensive Reinforcement

Liverpool’s summer has been quiet. Too quiet for a club with genuine ambitions of wrestling back the Premier League title. That may be about to change on the defensive front, with Tottenham’s Djed Spence emerging as a serious option – and a player said to be desperate to make the move to Anfield.

While Tottenham have ripped into the market with six new signings, Liverpool’s business has been measured. Jeremy Jacquet’s arrival was effectively done in January, leaving just one fresh senior face through the door since the window opened. All this while Andoni Iraola surveys a back line already fraying at the edges before a competitive ball has been kicked.

Conor Bradley and Giovanni Leoni will not be ready for the start of the season. Joe Gomez has already suffered a muscle injury in pre-season. Depth at full-back, especially on the right, looks thin. Iraola has not hidden his concern internally, with a request lodged to FSG for defensive reinforcements as July drew to a close.

That urgency has pushed Liverpool back towards a name they have tracked before. AnfieldIndex previously flagged Djed Spence as a player admired inside the club, largely for his versatility across the back line and his athletic profile. Now, according to a fresh update, admiration has turned into something more concrete – and the player is firmly on board.

Anfield Sector reported that Liverpool “have an interest in Tottenham defender Djed Spence” and that the 25-year-old is “extremely receptive to the idea of a move to Liverpool.” In other words, if the call comes, Spence is ready.

The same update underlined Iraola’s “defensive concerns around the current right-backs” and stressed that Spence is “not the only name under consideration,” with the club still weighing up options. The interest, though, is described as “definite even if downplayed.”

The information has been echoed by X account @szyexcl, a source closely followed by Tottenham supporters. Their line is clear: “Understand liverpool hold an interest in Djed Spence. Player would be very open to Liverpool if an offer arises. Spurs would seek at least £35m.”

That price point is significant. Tottenham, busy reshaping their own squad with attacking targets such as Savinho for the right wing and an additional forward on the opposite flank or through the middle, are prepared to cash in – but not cheaply. They are understood to want at least £35m for a player who has struggled to lock down a long-term role in north London, yet still carries considerable upside.

For Liverpool, the calculation is simple but sharp. Pay a premium for a Premier League-ready, multi-functional full-back who wants the move, or look elsewhere and risk going into the new season one injury away from a full-blown crisis on the right.

All this plays out against a wider backdrop of squad manoeuvring. Spurs have Liverpool’s Cody Gakpo on their radar as they hunt for attacking reinforcements, though any sale from Anfield would likely hinge on the Reds securing a direct replacement. On Merseyside, the recruitment team are pressing ahead with an aggressive push for Bradley Barcola, while also exploring a deal for his PSG teammate Ibrahim Mbaye.

Those attacking pursuits haven’t dulled the need for a defender. If anything, the early knocks to Bradley and Gomez have sharpened it. Spence fits the profile Iraola wants: quick, adaptable, and comfortable operating high and wide or tucked in, depending on the system.

The question now is whether Liverpool are prepared to meet Tottenham’s valuation, or whether this interest remains exactly that – interest, rather than action.

Spence, by all accounts, has already made up his mind. The next move belongs to Liverpool.