Time is starting to run out on Djed Spence's Rennes loan spell and it won't be long at all until he is back at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Signed from Middlesbrough last summer but playing an extremely limited role under Antonio Conte, the talented right wing-back headed to France after the club had given him the green light to depart on loan.
A huge opportunity to get some much-needed minutes under his belt and also a chance to help his development, Spence linked up with Tottenham teammate Joe Rodon on loan at Roazhon Park. Following an injury to captain Hamari Traore, the summer addition was given a free run in the Rennes team at right-back to make the position his own while his new teammate was on the sidelines.
After making his debut in their 3-1 defeat against Lille at the start of February, Spence started seven successive games in Ligue 1 and also played in both of their Europa League knockout round clashes against Shakhtar Donetsk as he was handed a regular run of action that he craved at Tottenham.
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Making an impression in that period, Spence was described as "unstoppable" down Rennes' right flank in their famous 2-0 win at PSG where he came up against Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe.
That win in the French capital midway through March was unfortunately the last time the England Under-21 ace started a game for Bruno Genesio's men. Following the return to fitness of Traore just prior to the international break as he came on in their games against Auxerre and PSG, the Mali ace has regained his place in the Rennes side at the expense of Spence.
At a time when Rodon has missed out on the matchday squad for Rennes' past two league games, Spence also finds himself with a lack of minutes coming his way after dropping out of the starting XI. Handed seven minutes in the recent 1-0 defeat at home to Lens, Spence watched on from the bench in their fixtures against Lyon and Reims as captain Traore played the full game at right-back.
Now only having seven games left before their 2022/23 campaign comes to an end, Spence appears to have a real fight on his hands to get some pitch time under his belt before he heads back to Tottenham. As his main competitor is the captain of the club, the ex-Nottingham Forest loanee may find himself stuck on the bench for the remainder of the season unless Traore suffers another injury or his form starts to tail off.
Not exactly the best position for the player to be in at the moment given the measly amount of minutes he received at Tottenham earlier in the season, all Spence can do is take his opportunity when it comes his way and hope it leads to more match action under Genesio. Regardless of how his season ends in France, Spence will return to this summer with a new head coach hopefully already in position following Conte's departure at the end of March.
That means it will be a fresh start for the player, as well as the rest of his Tottenham teammates, and a change in management could be what he needs to really get his Spurs career up and running. Whereas he was competing with Emerson Royal and Matt Doherty for the right wing-back berth in the first part of the term, he now has Pedro Porro as a challenger after the Spaniard was signed from Sporting CP prior to Doherty's departure to Atletico Madrid.
Finding himself back on the bench in recent weeks, Spence will be doing all he can to finish the season in the Rennes side and help them achieve a European spot before heading back to Tottenham. His attention will then switch to his parent club and ensuring that the new management at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium see exactly why he was brought to north London in the first place.
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