Djed Spence Transfer to Inter Milan as Tottenham Reshapes
Inter Milan are closing on Djed Spence after agreeing a deal with Tottenham, as Roberto De Zerbi’s rebuild in north London gathers pace on both fronts of the market.
Sky Sports report Spurs have struck a £30 million agreement with the Italian club for the defender, with a 10 per cent sell-on clause included. Spence has already been given permission to undergo his medical in Italy while the clubs finalise the paperwork.
The 26-year-old, who made 44 appearances for Tottenham last season and impressed for England at the World Cup, is set to sign a five-year contract at San Siro. ESPN add that he will arrive as Inter’s replacement for Denzel Dumfries, who has moved to Real Madrid.
Spence’s departure will close a chapter that began with his switch from Middlesbrough in 2022. He has played 85 times for Spurs, but the full-back pecking order has shifted. Pedro Porro is firmly established as first-choice on the right, while new signing Andy Robertson will compete with Destiny Udogie on the left.
De Zerbi’s clear line on Spurs future
While players come and go, De Zerbi has been blunt about what he expects from those who stay.
"I was very clear at the start of my time in Tottenham. I said 'Who doesn't want to stay in Tottenham, who is not happy, is not proud to stay here, has to leave'," he said on the club’s pre-season tour.
"I want proud players who are happy to stay here and to go on the pitch at Tottenham Stadium with a big motivation. If you think also in the World Cup, the motivation makes the difference. The motivation is to be happy to stay in one team."
His stance also stretches to the transfer market as a whole.
"I think the top clubs now, they are not worried about selling players. No. Even Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, when they have to sell, they have to sell. Right price, you don't have to be shy. But when you have to spend money, you have to do that. Strong, fast, quickly, the right player, the right investment."
De Zerbi has already made it plain he wants Tottenham pushing towards the top of the Premier League and intends to stay for years, but he has warned against any illusions created by a busy window.
"We can't get ahead of ourselves. We need to create a clear playing style and give a soul to this team. If the results were lacking in previous years, it may well be because those elements were missing," he told Sky Italia.
"The Premier League is very competitive, so many talk about 'projects', but very few manage to see them through. We want to be here for many years and take Tottenham back to the top of the table. It’s no guarantee that just having a good transfer campaign will be enough to immediately challenge with the top teams. We’ll see."
Savinho saga rumbles on
On the incoming side, the Savinho chase has become the headline act of Spurs’ summer.
Brazilian outlet Globo claim Tottenham have put £85 million on the table for the Manchester City winger, a figure said to match City’s asking price from the start of negotiations. The 22-year-old was not involved in training on Thursday, adding another layer of intrigue.
Reports earlier in the window had suggested a price nearer £60m, but the numbers have climbed as interest hardened. football.london understand Tottenham are keen to sign Savinho, whose contract with City runs until 2031, and have already held talks over a potential fee.
Fabrizio Romano, speaking on his YouTube channel, says a deal between the clubs is not yet in place despite Tottenham’s push.
"Savinho wants to go to Tottenham," Romano said. "Savinho has an agreement with Tottenham on personal terms. Savinho is waiting and hoping Manchester City and Tottenham reach an agreement."
He added: "We also have to respect Man City, and Man City as of today are still not giving the green light for a Savinho transfer. At the moment, Manchester City are not accepting Tottenham’s bid. The negotiations continue, talks continue, but Savinho has a clear desire: He wants to be a Tottenham player."
Spurs have been linked with several attacking options as De Zerbi looks to reshape his frontline, with Galatasaray striker Victor Osimhen among the names mentioned following his successful spell at Napoli.
Romero next as exits bite
Spence is not the only defender heading for the exit. Cristian Romero is also set to leave for Atletico Madrid, with both deals expected to be completed for what are described as relatively low fees.
It underlines De Zerbi’s insistence that timing and conviction matter in the market. Sell when the moment is right. Spend when the target is right.
Tottenham have already heavily backed their head coach after he steered them to Premier League safety. The squad looks different, more aggressive, more tailored to his ideas. Yet De Zerbi has been adamant there is still plenty of work to do before the season kicks off.
Spence flying to Milan, Savinho waiting on Manchester, Romero bound for Madrid. The churn is real. The question now is whether this ruthless reshaping can lift Tottenham from survival mode to sustained contention at the top of the table.
