Djed Spence Joins Inter Milan in €35m Deal

Djed Spence touched down in Milan late on Thursday night, the final act of a summer chase that has ended with Inter prising him away from Tottenham in a deal that underlines just how far his stock has risen.

The 26-year-old defender arrived at the airport to a mix of cameras and cheers, greeted by local media and a pocket of excited Inter supporters as he made his way through the terminal. On Friday, he is due to undergo his medical with the Serie A club, the last formality before the move becomes official.

Big fee, big faith

Inter and Spurs have thrashed out a comprehensive agreement: an initial €31.5 million (£27m) fee, with performance-related bonuses that could push the total package up to €35m (£30m). Tottenham have also secured a ten per cent sell-on clause, a clear sign they believe Spence’s value could climb again on the continent.

Personal terms? No obstacle at all. Spence is understood to have agreed his contract with Inter without any drama, drawing a line under a four-year spell in north London that veered from promising to chaotic and back again.

World Cup springboard

This transfer has not come out of nowhere. Spence is riding the wave of a standout 2026 World Cup with England, where he played a major role in a run that took the Three Lions to the third-place play-off against France. His energy, versatility and composure on the ball in that tournament turned heads across Europe.

Inter were among those watching closely. Needing a statement replacement for Denzel Dumfries, who left for Real Madrid in early July, the Italian giants circled the market for weeks. Spence’s World Cup form tipped the balance. Once they committed, they moved decisively.

Tottenham’s logjam at full-back

Spence exits Spurs with 85 senior appearances and a Europa League winners’ medal to his name, but his route to regular minutes had narrowed sharply ahead of the new Premier League season.

Pedro Porro has recently signed a lucrative new contract as first-choice right-back, while Andy Robertson has arrived to reinforce the left side with proven quality. With both flanks locked down, the message was clear: Spence would be fighting for scraps.

New Tottenham manager Roberto De Zerbi did not stand in his way. With the club resetting after a bruising campaign, he gave the green light for a permanent sale that trims the squad and brings in significant funds.

End of a turbulent chapter

For Spurs, this deal also closes the book on a deeply turbulent period. Spence featured 44 times in a fraught final season in which Tottenham flirted dangerously with disaster, only securing their Premier League status on the final day. That brush with relegation has already prompted change; Spence’s departure is part of that wider overhaul.

He leaves with mixed memories but also with the platform to relaunch himself at one of Europe’s most demanding clubs.

Second time in Italy, much higher stakes

This will not be Spence’s first taste of Italian football. He spent six productive months on loan at Genoa in 2024, a spell that gave him a crash course in Serie A’s tactical rigour and defensive discipline. That experience should ease his transition now, though the expectations at San Siro will be on a different scale entirely.

For the moment, everything hinges on Friday’s medical. Pass that, and Inter can unveil their new full-back to a fanbase that has grown used to seeing high-profile names stride out onto the San Siro pitch.

Spence will then dive straight into preparations for the new season, tasked with filling the void left by Dumfries and proving that his World Cup breakout was not a one-off, but the start of a new chapter at the top of the European game.