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Tottenham Hotspur full-back Djed Spence is expected to go out on loan in the final days of the January transfer window, according to news agency PA.
Spence has struggled for minutes since his summer move from Middlesbrough and is yet to make his full debut for the club.
Spurs boss Antonio Conte has regularly chosen Emerson Royal and Matt Doherty over the 22-year-old, who looks likely to miss the matchday squad again for the FA Cup fourth-round tie from Saturday in Preston.
A number of Premier League clubs are interested in securing Spence’s services on loan, but Tottenham are reluctant to allow a buyout clause to be included in any deal.
Tottenham assistant manager Cristian Stellini insisted on Friday that a lack of consistency in training has meant the defender has been restricted to just six games this season.
“Being consistent without playing so often is not easy, but being consistent in training is very important for a type of player like Djed,” said Stellini.
“This is the area where he can improve a lot. He has improved since he has been here and he has improved a lot but he has to continue like everyone else, like Bryan Gil, like Pape Sarr.
“They are improving but the season continues. If you don’t get many opportunities to play, maybe you need to be consistent in training.
“There are also hierarchies in the team, so we have to respect some hierarchies.
“It’s not easy when you have a number of players, with more players in the rotation than you can use. At the moment, if you want to improve, we have young players on loan.
Being consistent without playing so often is not easy, but being consistent in training is very important for a type of player like Djed. This is the area where he can improve a lot
Cristian Stellini to Djed Spence
“But I repeat that I am not the right person to talk (about transfers). I’m talking about all the players in general, not just Djed Spence.”
Spence’s expected departure is unrelated to Spurs’ pursuit of Sporting Lisbon full-back Pedro Porro, who is expected to complete his move to England after being involved in Saturday’s Cup final against Porto
Tottenham’s bid for silverware continues this weekend with a trip to Sky Bet Championship club Preston, where talisman Harry Kane can only be named on the bench following his recent bout of illness.
Kane’s goal at Fulham on Monday earned Spurs a much-needed win and sparked passionate scenes of celebration between Conte and the visiting supporters at Craven Cottage.
Stellini added: “For everyone, this is the best moment. A type of manager like Antonio who lives this job with passion, is important.
“It’s an important moment, an important reaction but it’s also important that the players feel the support, feel the love, feel that everyone trusts them. We are a team that works hard and this kind of emotion can be a great point”.
Conte’s post-match antics at Fulham belied talk he could leave after a difficult season on and off the pitch where the Italian has dealt with the death of Tottenham fitness coach Gian Piero Ventrone and close friends Sinisa Mihajlovic and Gianluca Vialli in recent months.
“What I can say is that we feel a lot of love from the club,” revealed Stellini.
“We realize that this club is a special club because they were very close to us to give us all the support and it was amazing.”
