Liverpool Target Djed Spence as Inter Competition Heats Up
Andoni Iraola has identified his first big defensive swing as Liverpool manager – and it could drag him straight into a tug-of-war with Inter for one of the most intriguing late-window stories of the summer.
The target? A revitalised Djed Spence.
Spence’s Spurs revival puts Europe on alert
For a long time, Spence’s Tottenham career looked like it would be filed under “what might have been”. Loan spells at Rennes, Leeds United and Genoa turned his time in north London into a tour rather than a home. Promise, yes, but no permanence.
That changed at the back end of the 2025-26 season.
Spence finally strung together the kind of performances at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium that had once made him one of English football’s most talked‑about young full-backs. The 25-year-old found rhythm, minutes and, crucially, trust. His form there, and his impact on the international stage, has pushed him back into the spotlight just as the market reaches boiling point.
Liverpool, according to reports, have been tracking that resurgence closely. Iraola wants energy and aggression from his backline, and Spence’s profile fits the brief. The club are ready to move if the numbers fall into the right bracket before the window shuts.
They are not alone.
De Zerbi’s hierarchy and Tottenham’s hard line
For all Spence’s improvement, his future at Tottenham is anything but settled under Roberto De Zerbi.
The Italian coach is understood to favour Pedro Porro and Andy Robertson as his first-choice full-backs, a pecking order that leaves Spence in a familiar limbo: too good to ignore, not yet central to the manager’s plans. That uncertainty has cracked the door open, but it has not blown it off its hinges.
Tottenham hold the leverage. Spence signed a contract extension last August, tying him to the club until June 2028. That deal gives Spurs a commanding position at the negotiating table, and they are not inclined to surrender it cheaply, especially after his value climbed over the summer.
The stance is clear: they are open to a sale, but only on their terms. A fee in the region of £35 million is believed to be the threshold for serious talks. Anything less, and he stays.
Inter step in – and push the price up
Just as Liverpool weigh their move, the blue half of Milan has already accelerated.
Inter have identified Spence as a priority signing to reinforce their full-back options following Denzel Dumfries’ departure to Real Madrid. In Cristian Chivu’s system, the role demands athleticism, range and conviction in both directions. Inter see Spence as an ideal fit.
They have not waited around. The club’s hierarchy, including Beppe Marotta and Piero Ausilio, have already held discussions with the player’s representatives and are prepared to stretch their original budget to get ahead of Liverpool. There is a growing concern in Milan that every week of strong headlines and international exposure only drives the price higher.
Inter want a long-term answer on that flank. Spence, in their eyes, can be exactly that.
England break, Liverpool pull, Italian temptation
The timing adds another twist. Spence has just come off a demanding summer, helping England secure third place at the World Cup. Tottenham granted him an extended holiday, and he skipped the club’s pre-season tour of New Zealand and Australia, missing games against Auckland FC and Sydney FC.
So while his teammates have been clocking up air miles and minutes, Spence’s situation has been playing out in the background – on calls, in boardrooms, and through intermediaries.
He knows Italy. His spell at Genoa was one of the brighter chapters of his loan carousel, and the idea of returning to Serie A reportedly appeals. Lifestyle, league, familiarity with the pace and pattern of the game there – it all counts.
Yet the pull of Liverpool is different. Anfield, a new project under Iraola, the chance to establish himself in the Premier League at a club built on high-tempo football and relentless full-backs. That is the kind of offer that can change a career’s trajectory.
A race against the clock
As the Premier League season looms and the deadline creeps closer, the chase for Spence is edging towards a decisive phase.
Tottenham hold a long contract and a firm valuation. Inter have already made their move and are ready to stretch. Liverpool are circling, calculating whether to strike.
One of England’s most improved defenders stands at the centre of it all, his next decision set to shape not just his own path, but the balance of two major European backlines for years to come.
