Djed Spence: Liverpool's Target in Transfer Tug-of-War with Inter
Andoni Iraola has identified his first big defensive swing as Liverpool manager – and it could drag him straight into a tug-of-war with Inter over one of the most intriguing late-window options on the market.
Djed Spence, once a drifting figure on Tottenham’s books, is suddenly at the centre of a battle between Anfield and San Siro.
From loan wanderer to hot property
For a long time, Spence’s Tottenham career looked like a story that would never quite get written. Rennes, Leeds United, Genoa – his time in north London was punctuated by loan moves that hinted at potential but never quite nailed down a future.
That changed at the back end of the 2025-26 season.
Spence finally imposed himself at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, stitching together the kind of consistent, high-level performances that had originally persuaded Spurs to bet on him. The 25-year-old’s form arrived late, but it arrived with force, and it carried into the international stage, where he impressed for England at the World Cup as they finished third.
That surge has transformed his status. No longer a squad piece, he is now a £35 million decision.
De Zerbi’s hierarchy and a door left ajar
Inside Tottenham, the picture is far less straightforward than Spence’s recent rise suggests.
Roberto De Zerbi, tasked with reshaping Spurs in his own image, is understood to favour Pedro Porro and Andy Robertson as his primary full-back options. In a system that leans heavily on structure and specific profiles out wide, that preference matters.
It leaves Spence in an awkward limbo: valued, but not central.
Spurs are not rushing to move him on. Far from it. He signed a contract extension last August that runs to June 2028, giving the club a commanding position at the negotiating table. His performances over the summer have only driven that leverage higher.
Even so, Tottenham are described as “open” to a sale if the right bid lands. The figure being floated is around £35 million – enough to reflect his upswing, but not so high as to scare off Europe’s elite.
That’s where Liverpool and Inter step in.
Iraola’s Liverpool circle
At Anfield, Iraola is quietly reshaping a squad that has already gone through one major evolution. His teams demand intensity, aggression, and full-backs who can live on the edge of the game – high, bold, and relentless.
Spence fits that template.
Liverpool are tracking the situation closely, ready to move if Spurs show any real willingness to cash in before the window closes. The appeal for the player is obvious: a club with Liverpool’s stature, a manager whose style seems tailored to his strengths, and a league he already knows.
But this is no clear run to the finish line. Not with Inter circling.
Inter’s Dumfries replacement plan
In Milan, the need is just as sharp, maybe sharper.
Inter have lost Denzel Dumfries to Real Madrid and must now replace a key outlet on the flank in Cristian Chivu’s system. They have fixed their gaze on Spence as a priority target to fill that void long term.
The Italian club have already spoken to the defender’s representatives and, crucially, are prepared to stretch their budget to win this race. Inside the corridors of power, figures such as Beppe Marotta and Piero Ausilio are acutely aware of the clock. Spence’s stock is climbing; wait too long and the price climbs with it.
For Inter, the logic is simple: secure him now, before his World Cup glow and Premier League exposure push him into a different financial bracket.
Pull of Italy, pull of Anfield
Spence himself sits at the centre of competing attractions.
He has already sampled Serie A with Genoa and left a strong impression. Italy suits him: the rhythm, the tactical detail, the space to attack from deep. A return there is said to appeal, and Inter offer the chance to do it at the very top end, competing for titles and deep runs in Europe.
Yet Liverpool is Liverpool. The lure of Anfield, the Premier League spotlight, and the chance to work under Iraola in a side built to press and surge could be hard to turn down.
For now, Spence remains a Tottenham player, back from an extended holiday granted after his World Cup exploits. He missed Spurs’ pre-season tour of New Zealand and Australia – no Auckland FC, no Sydney FC – and returns to a club that rates him, but may not revolve around him.
That tension is exactly why the market has opened up.
As the transfer deadline looms and the new Premier League season edges into view, one question hangs over this window: does Djed Spence anchor De Zerbi’s depth chart, or does he walk into a new dressing room as the final major move of the summer?
