Djed Spence Close to Exit at Tottenham: Inter Milan's Bid Looms
Djed Spence is moving closer to the exit at Tottenham this summer, with Inter Milan preparing to test Spurs’ resolve over the England full-back.
Standard Sport understands the Serie A giants are lining up a bid in the region of £25.6million, and Spence is ready to listen. After a standout World Cup, his stock has never been higher. He knows it. So do Tottenham.
World Cup bounce, club reality
Spence’s performances in Qatar, capped by his display in England’s semi-final defeat to Argentina, have pushed him into a different bracket of recognition. This is his moment, and he wants guarantees that it will not be wasted on the bench.
Those assurances are not forthcoming at Spurs. Roberto De Zerbi cannot offer him the minutes he craves and has made it clear he will not block a move for the 26-year-old if he chooses to go. The manager rates him, but sentiment does not pick the team.
Spence sits behind World Cup winner Pedro Porro in the right-back hierarchy, and that order looks set for the long term after the Spaniard signed a new contract in June. Spence can cover left-back, but he sees himself as a right-back and believes his World Cup form has earned him the right to fight for that role every week, not occasionally.
De Zerbi understands the dilemma. Spurs like what Spence brings, yet they also recognise a player entering the prime of his career who does not want to be a squad option.
Inter’s opening, Spurs’ calculation
In a perfect scenario for Tottenham, they would not be cashing in on a defender who only a month ago was being widely praised on the biggest stage. But the reality of their summer is blunt: Spence wants to play, and the club want to be smarter and more decisive in the market.
Inter Milan offer a neat solution. Spurs avoid strengthening a direct Premier League rival — they have already batted away tentative interest from Liverpool — and Inter get a ready-made replacement for Denzel Dumfries, who has joined Real Madrid.
The proposed fee of around £25.6m feels on the low side given Spence’s World Cup surge and current profile. Yet the market around him is not frenzied. Without a queue of bidders, Spurs are having to be pragmatic about what they can demand for a player whose form in north London has been patchy and inconsistent at the very top level.
A different Tottenham
Whether Tottenham move for a direct replacement remains unclear. De Zerbi has been open that Spurs are not finished in this window, but the exact shape of their defensive options is still to be finalised.
What is clear is the shift in strategy. Offloading Spence for a solid fee, even in the wake of a World Cup high, would underline a new, harder edge at Spurs — a club that openly accepts it has too often failed to extract proper value when letting players leave.
Now they are prepared to sell, even good players, at the right moment. The question is whether they can turn that resolve into a squad strong enough to justify it.
