Inter Milan Agrees £30m Deal for Djed Spence

Inter Milan have agreed a £30m deal to sign England full-back Djed Spence from Tottenham, completing a move that suits all three parties but still leaves a twinge of regret in north London.

The agreement, understood to include a 10 per cent sell-on clause, allows Spence to head back to Italy, where he rebuilt his reputation during a six-month loan with Genoa from January 2024. He had already been given permission to travel for a medical while talks between the clubs were being finalised. Those talks are now done. The total package is in place.

For Spurs, it is a sharp piece of business on paper. They signed Spence from Middlesbrough in July 2022 in a deal worth up to £20m, paying an initial £12.5m. Two years on, they are banking more than double that outlay. For some supporters, that will feel smart. For others, it will feel like a missed opportunity.

Because the talent has never really been in doubt.

Spence was one of the standout performers in England’s run to third place at this summer’s World Cup, his athleticism and aggression down the flank catching the eye on the biggest stage. Yet his path at Tottenham was increasingly blocked.

Pedro Porro has nailed down the right-back spot. On the opposite side, Destiny Udogie is first choice, with Andy Robertson, Souza and Ben Davies all capable of operating at left-back. The message to Spence was clear: minutes would be scarce.

Inter, by contrast, have been actively hunting a new right wing-back. Their first push was for Al Ittihad’s Moussa Diaby, but that pursuit stalled. The search moved on. Spence quickly became the preferred option.

The fit is obvious. Inter want a powerful, attacking outlet on the right. Spence wants a stage and a manager willing to trust him. He has three years left on his Spurs contract, with an option for a further season, yet he is keen to go. His positive experience in Serie A with Genoa has only strengthened that resolve.

At Tottenham, the move triggers the next phase of the plan. This is not a sale out of the blue. The club have been braced for Spence’s departure and are already working on potential replacements, with “irons in the fire” as they look to reshape their full-back options again.

As Sky Sports News’ Mark McAdam put it, Spurs fans have only seen Spence’s brilliance “in flashes” in a Tottenham shirt, even if his World Cup displays reminded everyone what he can be. The frustration lies in the gap between what he is and what he might have been for them.

For Inter, that gap is an opportunity. For Spurs, it is a gamble that the money, and the next right-back through the door, will justify letting a World Cup standout walk away at 24.