Tottenham on verge of £25.6m defender agreement as player 'anxiously awaits' medical permission

Tottenham Hotspur and Inter Milan are reportedly close to reaching an agreement on a deal for Djed Spence, shortly after the Nerazzurri were said to have reignited their interest.

Inter are understood to have been tracking Spence for some time, both before and after the versatile defender enjoyed a standout World Cup 2026 campaign with England en route to the bronze medal.

The Spence to San Siro trail went cold for a number of weeks, but it was reported late on Monday night that Inter were preparing to send an official bid to Tottenham for the 26-year-old.

Now, Gazzetta dello Sport claims that the two clubs are moving closer towards an accord, and Inter will land Spence for cheaper than Tottenham's original asking price.

Tottenham, Inter 'close' to £25.6m Djed Spence agreement

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The Lilywhites were believed to have been holding out for around €45m (£38.5m) for the defender shortly after the World Cup, while Inter were hopeful of striking a deal for less than €40m (£34.2m).

However, the report states that the Nerazzurri will fork out just €30m (£25.6m) plus bonuses for Spence, who is under contract at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for another three seasons.

Inter have supposedly set a target for themselves to complete Spence's signing before they play their first game of the Serie A season, which comes at home to Monza on August 22, following their final friendly against Real Betis on August 15.

There are no guarantees that the defender will be fit to make his debut in the Calcio opener, though, as he has only just resumed training following his post-World Cup holiday.

Spence is nevertheless 'anxiously awaiting' permission to fly to Milan, complete his medical and sign his contract, which is expected to be a four-year agreement until the summer of 2030.

Tottenham will make a sizeable profit on the England international, whom they signed from Middlesbrough for £12.6m in 2022, after which Spence struggled to immediately adapt under Antonio Conte and Ange Postecoglou.

The defender was loaned out to Rennes, Leeds United and Genoa before playing key roles in the 2024-25 and 2025-26 campaigns, amassing 79 appearances across all competitions and winning a Europa League title.

Spence will leave Tottenham having scored two goals and provided three assists for the club in 85 matches, including one Premier League strike against Ipswich Town in February 2025.

Will Cristian Romero join Djed Spence at Inter Milan?

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Spence - who will replace Denzel Dumfries for Inter - will be welcomed to Milan by a familiar face in John Stones, who has just signed for the Nerazzurri on a free transfer from Manchester City.

Christian Chivu's side were also persistently linked with a swoop for another Spurs defender in Cristian Romero, but the report adds that there is 'no way forward' in negotiations for the Argentine.

Atletico Madrid are said to be 'one step away' from signing Romero, meaning that Spence will not enjoy an immediate Tottenham reunion in Serie A.