Djed Spence Leaves Tottenham for Inter Milan in Deal Worth Up to £30m

Djed Spence is now an Inter Milan player. The Serie A champions have completed the signing of the England full-back from Tottenham Hotspur, according to the BBC, closing a deal that had been building since talks emerged on August 12.

The numbers vary slightly depending on the source, which is normal with add-on-heavy transfer deals. The BBC and Sky Sports both put the guaranteed fee at roughly £25.6m to £30m, or 30m euros. The Athletic reports the total package, including add-ons, could hit €35m (£29.9m). Sky Sports, citing Sky Sports News reporting, says the agreed package sits at £30m total. OneFootball, citing transfer reporter Fabrizio Romano, initially reported £26.5m before the final numbers firmed up. Inter Milan's own club statement, relayed by YSscores, lists the fee as €30m plus €5m in incentives and bonuses.

Whatever the exact final figure, Tottenham included a 10% sell-on clause, meaning the club gets a cut if Inter later sells Spence for a profit.

Spence has signed a five-year contract running through June 2031, according to Inter's official announcement. YSscores reports his annual salary at €3m plus bonuses, per the terms disclosed by the club.

For Tottenham, this deal represents a strong return on a player many wrote off two years ago. Spurs signed Spence from Middlesbrough in July 2022 for an initial fee reported between £12.5m and £20m depending on the outlet, with Crypto Briefing pegging the full package at £19m. He didn't start a single match for Spurs in his first two seasons, according to The Athletic, and was farmed out on loan to Rennes, Leeds United and Genoa. Former manager Antonio Conte reportedly called him a "club" signing, a backhanded label for a player bought more for the boardroom than the pitch.

Ange Postecoglou changed that. Spence broke into the first team during the 2024-25 season and helped Tottenham win the Europa League that year, per the BBC and The Athletic. He made 85 total appearances for Spurs and started 23 Premier League matches last season as the club narrowly avoided relegation.

Then came the World Cup. Spence played in all eight of England's matches as Thomas Tuchel's side finished third, according to the BBC. He took criticism early in the tournament but ended up starting and impressing in England's semi-final loss to Argentina.

Inter came calling after that World Cup showing. The club had been chasing a replacement for Denzel Dumfries, who left for Real Madrid, according to OneFootball. Inter reportedly missed out on Al Ittihad's Moussa Diaby and saw a deal for Union Saint-Gilloise's Anan Khalaili collapse before turning to Spence.

Spence is the second England international to join Inter this summer. John Stones arrived on a free transfer after his Manchester City contract expired, joining fellow Manchester City defender Manuel Akanji in a reshaped Inter backline under coach Cristian Chivu, coming off the club's 21st Serie A title.

For Tottenham, the sale continues a broader defensive overhaul. New manager Roberto de Zerbi brought in centre-backs Marco Senesi and Jan Paul van Hecke and left-back Andy Robertson from Liverpool this summer. Cristian Romero's move to Atletico Madrid was also confirmed on the same day as the Spence deal, and Luka Vuskovic has joined Brighton permanently.

De Zerbi had said in July he wanted Spence to stay, calling him an important part of his plans, according to the BBC. But the numbers didn't favor Spence getting minutes. Pedro Porro, who De Zerbi has called "the best in the world" at right-back, is first choice there. On the left, Spurs now have Robertson, Destiny Udogie, Souza and Ben Davies all competing for time. Sky Sports reported Spence had three years left on his Spurs deal with an option for a fourth, but with playing time drying up and Inter offering a starting role, the move made sense on both sides.

Middlesbrough also benefits. Sky Sports reports Boro retained a 15% sell-on clause from Spence's original 2022 move to Spurs and will collect a cut of the profit.

Spence posted a farewell message to Spurs fans on social media, writing "a special chapter comes to an end" and thanking staff, teammates and supporters, according to the BBC. He specifically referenced "that night in Bilbao," a reference to Tottenham's Europa League triumph.

Spence will now report to Milan and compete for starting minutes as a wing-back under Chivu. Tottenham moves forward with a defense that no longer includes Romero or Spence but is otherwise the most rebuilt unit at the club in years. Whether Spence's World Cup form translates into Serie A, and whether that 10% sell-on clause ever pays out for Spurs, remains to be seen.