Rennes chief Florian Maurice has shared his delight at finalising a loan deal for Tottenham youngster Djed Spence at the end of the January transfer window.
Spence joined the French side on loan until the end of the season at the end of last month after barely featuring under Antonio Conte this season.
He joined Tottenham in a €14.7m deal from Middlesbrough in the summer as Spurs looked for a right-wing back for Conte’s system after his impressive performances in the Championship.
That didn’t work out as planned, though, with the 22-year-old only making four appearances in the Premier League and one in the FA Cup so far, totalling 41 minutes.
The arrival of Pedro Porro from Sporting Club de Portugal made more minutes even less likely and so he was shipped out to Rennes, who already have Tottenham’s Joe Rodon on loan at the club.
“It happened very quickly. I am very happy and excited to see him,” he told Stade Rennais Online.
“I think it’s interesting to get these players from these clubs. We already did it with Joe (Rodon) this summer. It was an opportunity for him and us.
“I have a rather good relationship with Fabio Paratici, the sporting director of Tottenham, who worked for a long time at Juventus Turin, with whom I had a good relationship when I was at Lyon.
“It’s market opportunities that make it so. There is no particular link. The opportunities in the position meant that Djed wanted to get some playing time. We wanted to recruit a right-back. Our paths came together.
