Tottenham Hotspur are not messing around in the transfer window.
The Lilywhites, overseen by chairman Daniel Levy, are notoriously hard to negotiate with and that is something that Middlesbrough are experiencing at the moment.
Believed to have been in talks to sign full-back Djed Spence, 21, for several weeks, progress has so far been slow.
As per our own sources, Spence is wanted by several clubs, including Roma and Borussia Dortmund, but despite the high-level interest being shown in him, the young defender’s destination continues to remain uncertain.
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The latest in the ongoing saga comes from Sky Sports, who have suggested Levy is prepared to pull the plug on a potential deal unless there is a breakthrough in talks soon.
The eventual fee was previously speculated to be around £16m (Football London), but considering how long negotiations have gone on for, it would be fair to assume that fee will be inflated come the end of the saga.
Since joining Middlesbrough from Fulham back in 2018, Spence, who has two years left on his deal, has gone on to feature in 70 senior matches for The Boro, in all competitions, scoring two goals along the way.