Inter Milan Signs Djed Spence for £30m from Tottenham
Inter Milan have sealed a £30m move for England defender Djed Spence from Tottenham, backing Simone Inzaghi’s wing-back system with a major investment in pace and power down the right.
The agreement includes a 10 per cent sell-on clause for Spurs, rewarding them handsomely for a player who never quite became a regular in north London but whose value has soared on the back of a standout summer.
Spence was allowed to fly to Italy on Friday for his medical while the final details were thrashed out. Those talks are now complete, with the total package locked in at £30m and Inter finally landing the right-sided option they have been chasing.
From World Cup breakout to San Siro stage
The 24-year-old arrives in Milan on the back of a World Cup that changed the conversation around his career. Spence was one of the bright sparks in England’s run to third place this summer, his direct running and aggressive one‑v‑one defending catching the eye on the biggest stage.
At Spurs, though, the pathway was crowded. Pedro Porro is entrenched as first-choice right-back, while the left side is stacked with Destiny Udogie, Andy Robertson, Souza and Ben Davies all capable of filling that role. Minutes were always going to be a battle.
Inter sensed the opportunity. They had pushed for Al Ittihad’s Moussa Diaby but hit a wall in negotiations. The search switched lanes, and Spence quickly became the priority for the right wing-back slot that is so central to Inzaghi’s blueprint.
This is not a leap into the unknown for the defender. He spent the second half of last season on loan at Genoa from January 2024, adapting to Serie A and Italian football’s tactical demands. That spell helped convince him – and Inter – that a permanent move back to Italy was the right next step.
Spurs cash in, Inter bet big
Tottenham originally signed Spence from Middlesbrough in July 2022 in a deal worth up to £20m. Two years on, they walk away with a fee that more than doubles the £12.5m base figure they paid, plus a slice of any future sale.
It is smart business on paper, but not without a twinge of regret.
“Spence is a player Spurs fans will say they have seen his brilliance in flashes. You saw his brilliance at the World Cup with England,” Sky Sports News reporter Mark McAdam said. “They may also think it is frustrating. They paid £12.5m for him from Middlesbrough in 2022, a deal that Daniel Levy did. They are getting more than two times what they paid for him.
“But they will also say it doesn’t feel like a lot of money for a player who could be so important. Spurs have been preparing for this, though, and already have potential replacements in mind.”
Tottenham had already started planning for life without him, identifying alternative full-back options well before Inter’s bid hardened into a formal agreement.
“A special chapter comes to an end”
Spence marked the move with an emotional farewell on X, closing the door on a short but eventful spell in north London.
“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!!”
For Tottenham, the chapter ends with a profit and a reshaped defensive plan. For Inter, it begins with a £30m statement that their title ambitions will be driven from the flanks – and that Djed Spence is expected to be at full throttle from the moment he pulls on the black and blue.
