Djed Spence Joins Inter Milan for £30m from Tottenham
Inter Milan have sealed a £30m move for England defender Djed Spence from Tottenham, prising away one of the standout full-backs from this summer’s World Cup.
The deal includes a 10 per cent sell-on clause and caps a swift conclusion to talks that accelerated at the end of the week. Spence was granted permission to fly to Italy on Friday for a medical while negotiations rumbled on in the background. By the time the weekend closed in, the clubs had an agreement on a total package worth £30m.
From World Cup breakout to Spurs bottleneck
Spence arrives in Milan with his reputation enhanced by England’s run to third place at the World Cup, where he emerged as one of Gareth Southgate’s most eye-catching performers. His stock rose sharply. His pathway at Spurs did not.
With Pedro Porro entrenched as first-choice right-back and Destiny Udogie, Andy Robertson, Souza and Ben Davies all capable of operating on the left, Spence faced a season of scraps and cameos in north London. For a 24-year-old fresh off a World Cup surge, that was never going to be enough.
Inter, searching hard for a new right wing-back, sensed the opening. Their pursuit of Al Ittihad’s Moussa Diaby stalled, negotiations dragged, and attention switched firmly to Spence. Once the Italian club moved decisively, the deal gathered pace.
Italian return sealed
Spence still had three years remaining on his Tottenham contract, with an option for a further year, but his mind was already leaning back towards Serie A. A six-month loan spell with Genoa from January 2024 had given him a taste of Italian football – and he wanted more.
Tottenham originally signed him from Middlesbrough in July 2022 in a deal worth up to £20m. Two years on, they bank a healthy profit and a sell-on clause, but also lose a player many at the club felt had only just begun to scratch the surface of his potential.
As the move edged towards completion, Spence took to X to say goodbye. His message was emotional, and pointed to specific memories.
“A special chapter comes to an end,” he wrote. “It’s been some journey, with plenty of memories, moments and experiences that I’ll carry with me for forever, especially that night in Bilbao.
“Thanks to all the staff members who’ve helped me along the way, the players who’ve become family and most importantly thank you to the fans.
“It’s time for a new chapter, but Spurs will always have a place in my heart. COYS!!”
Spurs cash in – and plan what’s next
Inside Tottenham, there will be mixed feelings. Sky Sports News reporter Mark McAdam summed up the mood: supporters saw “brilliance in flashes” from Spence, glimpses that were reinforced by his World Cup displays with England.
They paid £12.5m to bring him in from Middlesbrough in 2022, in a deal driven by chairman Daniel Levy. Now they collect more than double that figure, a tidy piece of business on paper.
Yet the nagging thought remains: is £30m enough for a player who could still become a major figure at the top level?
Tottenham have not been caught cold. According to McAdam, the club have been braced for Spence’s exit and already lined up potential replacements for the right side of their defence.
Inter get the dynamic wing-back they wanted. Spurs get money to reshape their squad. The real verdict will come later: does this go down as shrewd trading from north London, or the sale of a defender they may spend years trying to replace?
