Inter Milan Near Deal for Djed Spence as Spurs Rebuild

Inter Milan are closing in on Djed Spence after agreeing a deal with Tottenham, with the defender already in Italy to seal his move.

Sky Sports report that Spurs have accepted a £30 million offer from the Serie A champions, with a 10 per cent sell-on clause included. ESPN add that Spence has landed in Milan and is set to sign a five-year contract as Inter’s replacement for Denzel Dumfries, who has joined Real Madrid.

The 26-year-old was granted permission to undergo his medical while the clubs finalised the details. He made 44 appearances for Tottenham last season and went on to impress for England at the World Cup, underlining why Inter have moved decisively.

Spence has played 85 times for Spurs since arriving from Middlesbrough in 2022, but the picture at full-back has shifted. Pedro Porro is locked in as first-choice right-back, while new signing Andy Robertson will battle Destiny Udogie on the left. For Spence, the route to regular minutes in north London has narrowed. For Spurs, this is the kind of sale Roberto De Zerbi has been demanding.

De Zerbi’s message: pride or goodbye

De Zerbi has been blunt about the standards he wants at Tottenham. Survival last season earned him backing, but not complacency.

"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'," he said during the club’s pre-season tour.

"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 feeds directly into moves like Spence’s and Cristian Romero’s expected switch to Atletico Madrid, both for relatively modest fees. De Zerbi is not afraid of the churn.

"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."

Tottenham have already brought in a wave of new faces, but the Italian has warned that the rebuild is only just taking shape.

"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 told Sky Italia.

"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."

Savinho saga: desire clear, deal not yet

On the incoming side, the headline chase is Savinho.

Fabrizio Romano reports that Tottenham and Manchester City are still haggling over a fee for the winger, despite claims elsewhere that a bid has already been accepted. According to Romano, Savinho has agreed personal terms with Spurs and is pushing for the move.

"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.

"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."

Brazilian outlet Globo claim Tottenham have gone as high as £85 million for the 22-year-old, matching what is said to have been City’s asking price since talks began. The forward, whose contract runs until 2031, was not involved in training on Thursday as speculation intensified.

Spurs have been linked with Savinho all summer, with earlier suggestions of a valuation closer to £60m. football.london understand that Tottenham are indeed keen and have already held talks with City over a potential fee, but the final breakthrough has not arrived.

Osimhen links and the attack De Zerbi wants

Savinho is not the only attacking name on the radar. Victor Osimhen, now at Galatasaray after his Napoli days, has been mentioned as a possible striking addition as De Zerbi looks to reshape his forward line. Spurs are also credited with interest in several other attacking targets as they search for a cutting edge to match the manager’s demanding style.

The vision is clear enough: a squad full of players who want to be at Tottenham, playing a defined, aggressive brand of football, capable of pushing towards the top of the Premier League. The execution is far more complicated.

Spence’s departure to Inter, Romero’s likely exit, the Savinho pursuit, the Osimhen links – they all sit inside the same story. De Zerbi is tearing down and rebuilding in real time.

The question now is simple: will the players he brings in give this Tottenham team the soul he insists it has been missing?