Inter Milan Near Deal for Djed Spence as Tottenham Rebuilds

Inter Milan are closing on Djed Spence after striking a deal with Tottenham, as Roberto De Zerbi’s rebuild gathers pace and the Savinho chase turns into one of the window’s defining stories.

Spence bound for Serie A

Inter have reportedly agreed a £30 million deal with Spurs for Spence, with Sky Sports claiming the agreement includes a 10 per cent sell-on clause. The defender has been granted permission to undergo his medical in Italy while the final details are ironed out.

ESPN reports that Spence has already landed in Milan and is set to sign a five-year contract as Inter’s replacement for Denzel Dumfries, who has joined Real Madrid. Tottenham are expected to receive around £27m as part of the switch.

Spence, 26, played 44 times for Spurs last season and went on to impress for England at the World Cup. Since arriving from Middlesbrough in 2022, he has made 85 appearances for the north London club, but the full-back pecking order has shifted.

Pedro Porro is now firmly established as first-choice right-back, while new arrival Andy Robertson will compete with Destiny Udogie on the left. The message is clear: De Zerbi wants a lean, motivated squad, and some big names are being moved on to make that happen.

De Zerbi’s demand: pride or the exit

If there was any doubt about the Italian’s approach, he removed it during Tottenham’s pre-season tour.

"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'," De Zerbi told Sky Italia.

"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."

That stance underpins the exits of Spence and Cristian Romero, who is set to join Atletico Madrid for a relatively low fee. De Zerbi is unapologetic about trading when the moment is right.

"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."

He has already been heavily backed after steering Spurs to Premier League safety, but he refuses to let the mood drift into complacency.

"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 said.

"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."

The ambition is long-term. The churn in the squad is immediate.

Savinho: agreement with player, stalemate with City

On the incoming front, the Savinho pursuit has become a high-stakes tug-of-war with Manchester City.

Brazilian outlet Globo reports that Tottenham have tabled an £85m bid for the winger, matching what is said to have been City’s asking price from the start of negotiations. The 22-year-old was not involved in training on Thursday as speculation intensified.

Spurs have tracked Savinho all summer, with earlier suggestions that his price could be closer to £60m. football.london understands Tottenham are keen to sign the forward, whose contract runs until 2031, and have already held talks with City over a potential fee.

Transfer specialist Fabrizio Romano, though, insists a deal is not yet in place between the clubs.

"Savinho wants to go to Tottenham," Romano said on his YouTube channel. "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."

So the player is pushing. Tottenham are pushing. City are holding their ground.

Attack overhaul on the horizon

Savinho is not the only forward on the radar. Spurs have been linked with Galatasaray striker Victor Osimhen, the former Napoli star, as De Zerbi looks to rip up and rebuild his attacking options.

The club are said to be exploring several other offensive targets as they piece together what has been billed as a “dream line-up” for the coming season. For all the excitement around the names, De Zerbi keeps circling back to the same themes: identity, soul, and the right mentality.

Tottenham have already shown they are prepared to sell assertively and spend aggressively. Spence is on his way to Inter. Romero is heading for Madrid. Savinho waits, hoping the next call he receives confirms his move to north London.

The question now is simple: will City blink in time for De Zerbi’s new-look Tottenham to hit the ground running when the season starts?