Daniel Farke has now explained why Djed Spence’s loan spell at Leeds United has been cut short early.
Spence joined Leeds on a season-long-loan from Tottenham Hotspur in the summer but Leeds have taken the decision to activate a break clause in the deal.
The 23-year-old made just seven appearances during his time at Elland Road after picking up a knee injury within a couple of weeks of joining, but had been starting to find some form and rhythm.
With that in mind, his early exit from Leeds came as a real surprise on Thursday night, but speaking in his pre-match press conference ahead of the FA Cup trip to Peterborough United, Farke has now explained why.
He says that there is no deep reason behind Spence’s exit from the club, and it was instead made after analysing the first half of the season.
Farke explains Spence exit
He said: “Nothing major has happened there. We have analysed the first half of the season. Obviously, when you make decisions in January, it is not short term.
“We wanted to take the impressions of the festive period into account. We came to the conclusion that we would end the loan of Djed. We are grateful for his time there. We wish him all the best.”
This is extremely disappointing news as there is no doubt that Spence is among the best right-backs in the division when at his best, as proven at Nottingham Forest. He really could’ve provided a new dynamic to Leeds’ starting XI.
However, Leeds have no time to rest on their laurels and are going to have to sign a replacement as they cannot rely on Archie Gray all season. Neco Williams was a target in the summer, and it will be interesting to see if they revisit that.
But ultimately, if this is genuinely the reason that he has gone back, then it is extremely strange considering he hasn’t even played 90 minutes in his favoured position.
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