Andoni Iraola Targets Djed Spence for Liverpool's Defense
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 Tottenham’s most intriguing late bloomers.
Iraola’s backline reboot
Liverpool’s new boss is trawling the market for a fresh injection of quality at full-back, and Djed Spence has surged towards the top of his list, according to reports in England. After years of drifting on the fringes at Spurs, shuffled out on loan to Rennes, Leeds United and Genoa, the 25-year-old finally came alive in north London at the back end of the 2025-26 season.
That late surge has changed everything. Liverpool are now tracking the situation with intent, ready to move if Tottenham crack before the window closes. The appeal is obvious: a dynamic, attack-minded full-back entering his prime, with a point to prove and a game seemingly made for Iraola’s aggressive, front-foot football.
The competition, though, is real.
De Zerbi’s pecking order and Spurs’ stance
For all Spence’s progress, his future at Tottenham is tangled in uncertainty under Roberto De Zerbi. The Italian has made his preferences clear: Pedro Porro and Andy Robertson are viewed as his primary full-back options. Spence, despite his rise and international heroics, sits just outside that inner circle.
That opens the door. But not wide.
Spurs, emboldened by his resurgence, are not preparing a fire sale. Spence signed a contract extension last August that ties him to the club until June 2028, handing Tottenham a powerful hand at the negotiating table. The London club are described as open to a sale, yet only at their price – believed to be around £35 million.
For Liverpool, it is a test of how far they are willing to go to arm Iraola with the tools he wants. For Spurs, it is a chance to cash in at the right moment on a player whose value spiked over the summer.
Inter enter the frame
Just as Liverpool began to circle, Inter stepped in.
The blue half of Milan have marked Spence down as a priority signing to reinforce their full-back options after losing Denzel Dumfries to Real Madrid. Cristian Chivu wants a long-term solution on that flank, and Inter’s hierarchy believe Spence fits the template: athletic, aggressive, and proven on the international stage.
Talks have already taken place with the player’s representatives. Inter are said to be willing to stretch their original budget to beat Liverpool to the punch, conscious that every standout performance only inflates the fee. Beppe Marotta and Piero Ausilio know this market well; they rarely hesitate when they sense a price rising beyond reach.
This is not a casual enquiry. It is a serious push.
Pull of Anfield, lure of Italy
Spence’s stock has climbed sharply after helping England to a third-place finish at the World Cup, a run that earned him an extended break as the new Premier League season looms. He skipped Tottenham’s pre-season tour of New Zealand and Australia, sitting out games against Auckland FC and Sydney FC while his future brewed in the background.
That future is not straightforward.
The defender is understood to be open to a return to Italy after a productive spell with Genoa, where he rebuilt confidence and rhythm away from the glare of English football. Serie A suits him; he knows the tempo, the tactical demands, the culture.
Yet the pull of Liverpool is different. Anfield, the Premier League spotlight, the chance to be a cornerstone of Iraola’s rebuild – those are powerful temptations for any player at this stage of his career.
As deadline day creeps closer, Tottenham hold the contract, Liverpool and Inter hold the ambition, and Spence holds the final choice. For one of England’s most improved defenders, the next move will not just define his season – it may decide the shape of his prime.
