Djed Spence's World Cup feat costs Spurs seven figures as secret clause revealed
Djed Spence's first start for England in their World Cup stage fixture against Ghana has cost his club Tottenham Hotspur a seven-figure fee.
The 25-year-old was chosen to start at left-back by head coach Thomas Tuchel during England's 0-0 draw on Tuesday.
He had earlier come on as a 80th-minute substitute in the opening 4-2 win over Croatia, and impressed sufficiently to replace Nico O'Reilly against Ghana in Boston.
Spence didn't have a significant impact on proceedings on Tuesday, but the same could be said for many of the England starting XI.
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Tuchel could be seen on the sidelines berating Spence and left winger Anthony Gordon during the second half, and the pair were substituted at the same time minutes later.
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Like Spence did in the first game, O'Reilly made a positive difference when he replaced the Spurs star on 65 minutes, meaning the pair will surely now do battle for a place in the starting XI for England's third and final group match against Panama.
Why Spurs have to pay extra for Spence
In the meantime, Spurs will have to shell out a seven-figure fee to Spence's previous club Middlesbrough as a result of a clause that was part of the £20 million deal between the two clubs back in 2022.
That's according to Teeside Live, who report that the clause entitles Boro to a fee of £2 million after Spence starts two competitive England matches.
He was named in the starting XI for England's 5-0 win over Latvia in World Cup qualifying last October.
It is also noted that Boro may also benefit from a deal involving Spurs' north London rivals Arsenal this summer.
The Gunners are reportedly keen on a move for Aston Villa and England star Morgan Rogers, despite Villa placing a price tag of at least £100 million on one of their key assets.
Rogers came through West Brom's academy before signing for Manchester City in 2019, where he spent four years without making a competitive appearance.
After three loan spells elsewhere, he joined Championship side Middlesbrough in the summer of 2023.
Rogers only spent six months on Teeside before Aston Villa signed him for a fee of £8 million, potentially rising to £15m, the following January.
While part of that fee - believed to be 25 per cent - went to Manchester City due to a sell-on clause inserted into the Boro deal, the Championship club stand to benefit substantially from any sale of Rogers.
Their own 20 per cent sell-on fee means they could pocket £20 million or more should Rogers move to Arsenal for a nine-figure fee this summer.
According to journalist Ben Jacobs, Villa may need to sell a player before the end of the summer to comply with Premier League financial regulations.
"Villa can definitely paint themselves as being in a very strong position to either keep or sell for a fee approaching £100 million," he told the Latte Firm podcast.
"Villa still, even with Champions League football, are looking for a major sale in order to balance their books, get through the final cycle of PSR and satisfy Financial Fair Play."
Topics: Tottenham Hotspur, England, FIFA World Cup, Middlesbrough
Ryan Smart