Inter are accelerating their efforts to sign Djed Spence from Tottenham and are close to reaching an agreement worth about €30m plus bonuses, according to La Gazzetta dello Sport.
The deal is expected to be completed soon, providing Simone Inzaghi with the long-awaited replacement for Denzel Dumfries and filling what Inter regard as the final major gap in their squad. The Nerazzurri hope to complete the transfer before the start of the league season.
Spence may not be available immediately, however. Like his England team-mate John Stones, he is only returning to training after taking a post-World Cup break.
Inter have maintained their interest in Spence throughout the negotiations. The club had been waiting for two issues to be resolved: Tottenham reducing their original valuation of about €40m and manager Ange Postecoglou agreeing to the player’s departure.
In recent weeks, Inter’s chief executive Beppe Marotta and sporting director Piero Ausilio also reopened discussions regarding French winger Moussa Diaby. Those talks proved difficult because of the player’s significant wage demands, while negotiations with Al-Ittihad were complicated by interest from Bayer Leverkusen in the same player.
Despite that, Spence is not viewed as Inter’s “Plan B”. The club believe he is a better tactical and physical fit than Diaby, particularly because of his defensive qualities.
That aspect is important to Inzaghi’s 3-5-2 system, in which the wing-backs must contribute both in attack and defence while operating in front of a back three. Inter feel Spence would help reduce their defensive weaknesses more effectively than the other options, especially in matches against the strongest opposition.
The defender is primarily suited to the right side because he is right-footed, but he can also operate on the left. His ability in that position was highlighted by his performances for England at the World Cup. His speed and reading of the game were also demonstrated by a key recovery tackle on Julian Alvarez in England’s World Cup semi-final against Argentina.
Inter are preparing to complete Spence’s signing regardless of Luis Enrique’s future. Roma are also ready to make a sizeable offer for Luis Enrique, with the proposed fee thought to be between €25m and €30m.
That figure will require careful consideration from Marotta and Ausilio. Luis Enrique does not particularly appeal to Gasperini, while Inter want to establish how serious Roma’s interest is before entering formal negotiations. The situation is further complicated by the difficulties surrounding last year’s Kone deal.
If Inter sell another wing-back, they would need to replace him in both numbers and quality. As a result, signing Spence alone would not be enough. He would be viewed as a rotational addition designed to improve depth in the position rather than as the sole replacement.
Spence is waiting for permission to travel to Milan and is expected to sign a four-year contract with the Nerazzurri. He has already been in contact with Stones, having played alongside him for England at the recent World Cup. The pair could soon be reunited at Appiano Gentile, forming what has been described as Inter’s “Double S duo” and adding a British presence to the squad.
Inter have largely ended their pursuit of Cristian Romero, with the Argentina centre-back close to completing a move to Atletico Madrid.
The club’s current priority is investment in wide areas, with midfield also an area they could strengthen through a possible move for Curtis Jones. At centre-back, Benjamin Pavard has made clear that he wants to remain with Inzaghi and the Inter hierarchy.
Pavard has reinforced that stance with his performances. He was one of Inter’s strongest players during their pre-season tour and has shown a positive attitude in every training session. The France international could therefore become an “unexpected asset” for the new campaign.
Unless an attractive offer arrives in the coming weeks, Pavard is expected to stay at Inter.
