Djed Spence Joins Inter Milan for £30m from Tottenham
Inter Milan have sealed a £30m move for England defender Djed Spence from Tottenham, ending a stop-start spell in north London and opening a fresh chapter in Serie A.
The deal includes a 10 per cent sell-on clause, with Spurs banking a healthy profit on a player they signed from Middlesbrough in July 2022 in a package worth up to £20m.
From World Cup breakout to San Siro stage
Spence arrives in Milan off the back of a standout summer with England, where he shone in their run to third place at the World Cup. His performances there underlined why major European clubs have tracked him for years: aggressive in the press, fearless on the ball, and built for the modern wing-back role.
At Tottenham, that potential never truly turned into a regular starting spot. 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 was staring at another season on the fringes.
He knew it. Spurs knew it. Inter moved.
The 24-year-old had already had a taste of Italian football, impressing during a six-month loan at Genoa from January 2024. That spell helped tilt his decision. When permission came on Friday for him to travel to Italy for a medical while talks rumbled on between the clubs, the direction of travel felt clear. Now the total £30m package is agreed, and the move is done.
Inter’s search ends with an England international
Inter have been scouring the market for a new right wing-back, a key position in their system. Their pursuit of Al Ittihad’s Moussa Diaby stalled, so attention switched firmly to Spence.
In many ways, he fits the brief perfectly. Young, already international-level, comfortable in a back three system, and battle-tested in both the Premier League and Serie A. For a club that lives off its wide players in transition, this is a signing with obvious tactical logic.
Spurs cash in, but questions linger
From Tottenham’s side, the numbers make sense on paper. They paid £12.5m to Middlesbrough in 2022 and now receive more than double that fee, with a sell-on clause also protecting them if Spence explodes in Italy.
Yet there is a nagging feeling around the club that this might be a talent let go too soon.
As Sky Sports News’ Mark McAdam put it, Spurs fans have only seen Spence’s brilliance “in flashes” in a Tottenham shirt, while his World Cup displays for England hinted at a much higher ceiling. That blend of promise and frustration defines his time in north London: glimpses of what he could be, never quite matched by minutes on the pitch.
Tottenham have been braced for this outcome. Recruitment plans are already in motion, with potential replacements lined up as they reshape the full-back positions for the coming seasons.
“A special chapter comes to an end”
Spence marked his departure with an emotional message on X, underlining that this was no cold, transactional exit.
“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!!”
The words read like a player who knows he is walking away from unfinished business, but also one who understands the opportunity now in front of him.
Inter get their new right wing-back. Spurs bank their profit and reset. The real question moves to Italy: does Djed Spence finally turn flashes of brilliance into a defining role at the top of the European game?
