Inter Close in on Djed Spence as Dumfries Successor

Inter’s long, stuttering search for a successor to Denzel Dumfries finally looks to have found its answer in Djed Spence – and at a significant price.

Reports in both Italy and England now align: Inter are closing on a deal with Tottenham Hotspur for the England international, with figures around €30m plus add-ons being widely cited. La Gazzetta dello Sport first pushed the story in Italy, Football Italia amplified it, and The Athletic has now echoed the numbers from the UK side.

For Inter, it has been a fraught few weeks on the right flank. Dumfries’ move to Real Madrid ripped out a key piece of Simone Inzaghi’s title-winning machine, and every attempt to plug the gap seemed to hit a wall. Chelsea hijacked a late move for Atalanta talent Marco Palestra. Anan Khalaili’s proposed switch from Union Saint-Gilloise collapsed after he failed a medical.

The pressure finally told, and Inter turned decisively to a profile they already knew could survive the tactical and physical demands of Serie A.

Spence, who turned 26 at the weekend, is no stranger to Italian football. Tottenham sent him to Genoa on loan from January to June 2024, initially as nothing more than cover for Stefano Sabelli. On paper, he was an understudy. On the pitch, he refused to play the role.

Working his way into the side, Spence ended up making 16 competitive appearances, increasingly trusted on the left flank in a team that demanded intensity and discipline out wide. Genoa had a €10m option to buy in June 2024. They passed. Looking at the current numbers being discussed, that decision now stings.

Inter see more than just a replacement. They see a weapon.

Fresh from a Serie A and Coppa Italia Double in 2025-26, and with the Champions League on the horizon again, Inzaghi needs full-backs and wing-backs who can morph with the game – defend deep, drive high, and switch sides without disrupting the structure. Spence fits that brief. He can play on the right or left, as a full-back or wing-back, giving Inter tactical elasticity in a squad that already thrives on it.

All the reporting converges on one key detail: Spence wants the move. The idea of joining the Italian champions, stepping into a side that just swept the domestic board and is gearing up for another European push, has clearly struck a chord with him.

From Miami Gardens to Atlanta, Spence has recently been in the spotlight with England at the FIFA World Cup 2026, walking out for pitch inspections on the biggest stage. Now, the next walk down a tunnel could be at San Siro, wearing black and blue, tasked with filling the void left by Dumfries.

If Inter and Tottenham finalise the deal at the numbers being discussed, it will mark a bold bet on a player whose Serie A audition lasted only half a season – and a stark reminder to Genoa of what might have been for just €10m.