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Djed Spence is edging closer to leaving Tottenham for Inter Milan, according to reports in Italy.

Spence struggled to live up to expectations after joining Tottenham from Middlesbrough back in 2022, having helped Nottingham Forest win promotion to the Premier League during an outstanding loan spell at the City Ground.

After three separate loans with Rennes, Leeds and Genoa, though, Spence enjoyed something of a resurgence at Spurs last season, earning himself a place in England’s World Cup squad.

Spence emerged from the tournament as one of the Three Lions’ unlikely stars after working his way into Thomas Tuchel’s starting XI in the midst of an injury crisis at full-back.

But Tottenham’s hierarchy were unmoved and made it clear they were open to offers for Spence at the start of the summer transfer window, meaning the versatile 26-year-old returned to north London with his club future up in the air.

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Reports last week indicated both Manchester United and Liverpool had been offered the chance to sign Spence before the transfer deadline.

However, according to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Inter have muscled themselves into pole position for Spence and the England international is said to be ‘on his way’ to the San Siro.

It’s claimed the relevant parties have come close to reaching an agreement ‘in the last few hours’ over a move expected to be worth in the region of €30million (£25.6m) plus bonuses.

The report adds that Spence will be brought in as Denzel Dumphries’ long-term successor in Milan ‘barring any unexpected developments’.

Spence is set to follow in the footsteps of international colleague John Stones, who departed Manchester City to join the Serie A giants on a free transfer last month.

Given their grueling summer with England, neither player is expected to be ready in time for Inter’s opening match of the Italian top-flight season at home to Monza on August 22.

Tottenham had initially slapped a £35m price tag on Spence but ultimately decided to relax their demands in order to remove the defender from their wage bill.

Spence is likely to put pen to paper on a four-year contract with Inter and the impending move could pave the way for Luis Enrique to complete a switch to Roma.

Inter have been forced to drop their pursuit of Tottenham defender Cristian Romero but remain interested in a deal for Liverpool and England midfielder Curtis Jones.

As one of Tottenham’s many World Cup participants, Spence was not included in Roberto De Zerbi’s touring party to New Zealand and Australia for the club’s pre-season matches against Auckland FC, Sydney FC and Chelsea.

Spurs continue their busy pre-season schedule with a friendly against Hoffenheim at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this weekend before kicking off their Premier League campaign away to London rivals Brentford on August 22.

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Paul Scholes has questioned new Arsenal signing Bruno Guimaraes and says Tottenham bought a ‘better player’ this summer.

Brazilian midfielder Guimaraes was unveiled to Arsenal fans at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday following his £75m move from Newcastle United.

Mikel Arteta identified Guimaraes as his top midfield target earlier in the summer and Arsenal finally made a breakthrough after weeks of negotiations with Newcastle.

Scholes has never been blown away by Guimaraes but insists he could ‘make Arsenal a better football team’ as they attempt to retain the Premier League trophy.

But the Manchester United legend says Guimaraes is not even the best midfield to leave Newcastle this summer as he views Sandro Tonali as a more complete player.

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Arsenal were one of several clubs to express interest in Tonali before Tottenham secured his signature in a club-record deal worth £100m.

‘I think Bruno Guimaraes will make Arsenal a better football team,’ Scholes said on The Good, The Bad & The Football podcast, sponsored by Midnite.

‘I don’t think the football we watched from them was great. You need midfield players to make your team play good football – is he going to do that enough for Arsenal?

‘I know they won the league but I don’t think they got the midfield right last season.

‘Maybe this is the answer to it but I do think Sandro Tonali is a better player, he’s got more legs about him.

‘I don’t think Bruno is amazing physically but he might be more suited to Arsenal.’

Arteta has high hopes for ‘warrior’ Guimaraes and believes the Brazilian can help Arsenal go to ‘the next level’.

‘I think he describes himself as a warrior,’ Arteta said. ‘I think he’s a warrior with a tremendous quality as well and intuition and leadership and charisma that is going to help us.

‘It is going to really ignite something different in the team. I’m delighted to have him.

‘We see very clearly – especially the energy that he brought immediately to the training ground – the hunger, the desire to come here and create a big history at the club.

‘That’s the ambition that we need. We want to go to the next level and are very, very much convinced that we’re going to need players with such a personality, desire and character to push everybody inside the organisation to go even higher.’

Meanwhile, Tonali said it took ‘just 10 minutes’ to decide to join Tottenham after speaking to new Spurs boss Roberto De Zerbi.

‘Honestly, I spoke with another team [also],’ Tonali admitted. ‘When you speak with a team, the first impression is a big thing and my impression was very positive.

‘When you are happy after a 10-minute chat, it’s everything, everything is perfect.

‘I spoke with my wife – this was the first thing. We wanted to change our life, but not just for the city, we wanted to change everything. We spoke with two clubs.

‘I understood after 10, 15 minutes that Tottenham would be my next team.’

Spurs finished just two points above the relegation zone last season and kick-start their 2026-27 Premier League campaign against Brentford.

Arsenal, meanwhile, begin their title defence against newly-promoted Coventry City next Friday night.

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Chelsea and Tottenham will discover their opponents for round two of the Carabao Cup on Monday night.

The Carabao Cup kicked-off proper last weekend, with clubs up and down the EFL battling it out, all dreaming of reaching the final at Wembley in March.

The second round of the competition is when things heat up as the 11 Premier League teams who did not qualify for Europe enter the draw.

That means that, rather unusually, two of England’s biggest clubs, Chelsea and Tottenham will be in the hat tonight and will have to play an extra round compared to their typical rivals.

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The same applies for Crystal Palace, Bournemouth, Sunderland and Brighton, who are competing in the Europa League and Conference League this season.

What time is the Carabao Cup second round draw?

The draw for round two of the cup will take place tonight (Monday, August 10) ahead of the final round one game between Plymouth Argyle and Exeter City.

It is scheduled to get underway at approximately 7.20pm.

How to watch Carabao Cup draw

In the UK, you can watch the draw live on Sky Sports Football. The draw is set to be conducted by presenter David Prutton alongside pundits Jobi McAnuff and Jamie Mackie.

Who can Chelsea and Tottenham draw in the Carabao Cup?

At this stage of the competition, the draw is split into two sections: North and South, with both Chelsea and Tottenham in the latter.

That means they will avoid several heavy hitters in the second round like Everton, Leeds and Newcastle.

However, there are still a few big names in the South section that they’d no doubt want to avoid, like London rivals Fulham, Brentford and West Ham.

And of course, it is possible that the Blues and Spurs could be drawn up against each other…

When is the Carabao Cup second round?

All second round matches are due to be played during the week commencing Monday, August 24.

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Omar Marmoush scored twice for Manchester City in a friendly win over Atletico Madrid on Sunday, but manager Enzo Maresca was coy on his future at the club.

The Premier League side beat the Atletico 3-1 in Seoul as the new season approaches, with Jorge Dominguez putting the Spaniards ahead.

Marmoush then scored twice, before Rayan Ait-Nouri netted a third at the death.

With Erling Haaland yet to return to action after the World Cup, Marmoush started up front and took his chance to impress the new City boss.

However, he remains linked with a move away from the club as his playing time is limited by the presence of Haaland in the squad.

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The Egyptian made 21 Premier League appearances last season, but 13 of them were from the substitutes’ bench and he scored just three league goals.

Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United have been linked with moves for the 27-year-old and Maresca did not rule out an exit after his goal-scoring heroics against Atletico.

In fact, the Italian spoke of Marmoush in the same manner as James Trafford, the goalkeeper who has left City this summer to sign for Leeds United.

‘The answer has to be similar to the one I answer about James Trafford. Players work every day, they want to play so when they don’t play they are not happy,’ Maresca said, via the Manchester Evening News.

‘Omar did not play a lot last year so his desire is probably to play more minutes. It doesn’t mean that he isn’t going to play more minutes here but it’s also his decision, and to understand his decision in details.’

Marmoush was not speaking like a player itching for a move after the win on Sunday, quickly turning attention to next weekend’s Community Shield, in which he will hope to star as well.

‘I’m enjoying myself a lot. Obviously, as a striker, it gives you confidence, and it gets you going in the flow, and I just had to tap it on the net, and I’d like to thank [Antoine Semenyo, for the assist], of course, and yeah, it just gives me confidence in the preseason. It feels good, next is the Community Shield.

‘We’re trying to learn the new tactics, the patterns, and what the coach demands from us, and I think we’re starting to get the hang of it.

‘Obviously, after 10 years, what Pep did here was unbelievable. It’s not easy after the change, but we’ve done really well, and we’ll go back home and keep going.

‘The summer was amazing. I also got married as well, so I had the best days of my life and it’s amazing to be back.

‘The culture here is so nice. I’d like to thank all the fans for this unbelievable support.

‘I felt the warmth. All of us felt it. The stadium was full today. Their culture is amazing. The food. I love their food, and we had a couple of amazing weeks.’

Tottenham captain Cristiano Romero is open to following in the controversial footsteps of Sol Campbell and cross the north London divide.

The Spurs skipper appears certain to leave this summer and is set for an acrimonious exit.

Romero was already on thin ice with Tottenham fans after he threatened to stay away from their final game of last season, when a win was required to guarantee Premier League survival.

The 28-year-old had been nursing a knee injury and had been keen to continue his rehabilitation in Argentina, rather than attend a must-win match against Everton.

Ultimately, Romero was in situ as Spurs ground out a 1-0 victory but it appears as though he has played his last game for the club he joined from Atalanta five years ago.

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Atletico Madrid were the frontrunners having jumped ahead of Inter who had agreed a a €40m (£34m) deal but had been unable to settle on personal terms.

Romero, however, could throw a further spanner in the works and send shockwaves through north London by angling for a move to Arsenal.

According to The Sun, the Argentina international is open to a move to the Premier League champions, although Spurs have no intention of allowing him to cross the divide.

Despite the need to further bolster his forward line, Mikel Arteta is aware of the need to strengthen in defence, especially in light of William Saliba’s back injury.

The France international is facing an extended period on the sidelines after he aggravated a long-standing back injury during Les Bleus’ World Cup semi-final defeat against Spain.

‘William Saliba has returned to us from World Cup duty, where he played an integral role in France reaching the semi-finals of the competition,’ read a statement on the club’s official website.

‘Subsequent specialist reviews on William’s return to London this week have confirmed that he has suffered a back injury which will require a period of rehabilitation.

‘Extensive assessments have concluded that surgery is not recommended, but William should now commence a managed recovery programme.

‘William’s rehabilitation will commence immediately, with continual management of his injury, and he is expected to be out of action for an extended period.

‘Everyone is fully focused on supporting William to ensure he is back to full fitness as soon as possible.’

Arsenal are also expected to make a bid for Aston Villa’s Ezri Konsa while they are also interested in Como’s Jacobo Ramon.

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Tottenham are looking to sign a new forward, with Chelsea’s Nicolas Jackson and Liverpool’s Cody Gakpo among their transfer targets.

But former Spurs star Stephen Kelly believes they should look to buy a Manchester United star who is ‘exactly’ what Roberto Di Zerbi needs.

After narrowly avoiding relegation on the final day of last season, Tottenham have splashed the cash this summer in an attempt to return to the top end of the Premier League.

£237million has been spent on Sandro Tonali, Mateus Fernandes and Jan Paul ven Hecke, while Andy Robertson, Marcos Senesi and Martin Dubravka have joined on a free.

But there is still a feeling the north London side need more firepower, hence the links with Jackson and Gakpo, as well as Manchester City winger Savinho.

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Jackson is an intriguing prospect having recorded 34 goal contributions in the Premier League during two seasons at Stamford Bridge, with the Blues willing to sell him for £65m.

But Kelly believes a new striker shouldn’t be Spurs’ first priority for the remainder of this transfer window, telling Sky Sports News: ‘A winger and a centre-forward would be nice but what’s on the market?

‘It’s very difficult to pin down someone that’s going to come in and have an instant impact in that central position.

‘I like Savinho just because he brings something slightly different. He’s that winger that can get on the ball and drive us forward. I think when [Mohammed] Kudus is fit, we have someone on the right-hand side [who can do that].

‘On the left-hand side, I think we’re lacking that kind of creativity. That’s the position I think Spurs really need strengthening.

‘Gakpo fits that profile from the left-hand side. I like Gakpo, he’s done really well. The left hand side is where Spurs need someone that can go and take players on, have goal contributions, and I think he does that.

‘He was very good for Liverpool last season through all their ups and downs. He’s someone who will absolutely contribute in that attacking sense straight away.’

But when it came to naming his dream Tottenham line-up for the first game of the season, Kelly snubbed Gakpo, Jackson and Savinho, but did include Man Utd and England forward Marcus Rashford.

‘The one I’ve brought in is Rashford. I just think he suits that profile really well,’ the former Republic of Ireland right-back added.

‘Financially, maybe it’s something that Spurs can’t do. But I just feel like he would be exactly what they need on that left hand side.

‘I know we’re linked with the other players but I just think goals, threat, dynamic – that’ll suit him.’

Rashford faces an uncertain future at Old Trafford having spent the last 18 months out of loan. It was expected that Barcelona would sign him permanently this summer, but they have instead bought his England teammate Anthony Gordon.

The 28-year-old has held talks with Turkish giants Fenerbahce but reports suggest he would rather stay in a top league and United are reluctant to sell to a Premier League rival.

Tottenham kick-off their season on August 22 with a trip to London rivals Brentford.

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Tottenham have ruled out the possibility of selling Cristian Romero to Arsenal, according to reports.

Arsenal are in the market to sign a new central defender before the end of the summer transfer window due to William Saliba’s back injury.

Saliba played with a back problem during France’s World Cup campaign and although he does not require surgery, Arsenal have confirmed the 25-year-old will be sidelined ‘for an extended period’.

The Premier League champions have already had a bid for Ezri Konsa rejected by Aston Villa, who are demanding a £60 million fee for the England international.

Arsenal have also considered a surprise move for Tottenham captain Romero but according to The Athletic, Spurs are ‘unwilling’ to sell the Argentina international to their north London rivals.

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The report adds that Atletico Madrid have now revived their interest in Romero and a move to Spain is a ‘likelier’ destination for the 28-year-old.

Tottenham have also agreed a €40m (£34m) deal to sell Romero to Inter but the Argentine defender has not finalised personal terms with the Italian club, who won Serie A last season.

Speaking this week, Spurs head coach Roberto De Zerbi insisted that he is still planning for the upcoming campaign with Romero as a part of his squad.

‘I texted with Cuti yesterday to make a plan for when he comes back to London but not for the transfer market,’ De Zerbi said.

‘That’s not my job. I know there are many solutions in the transfer market.’

Spurs are open to selling Romero this summer having already signed Marco Senesi on a free transfer from Bournemouth and Jan Paul van Hecke in a £52m deal from Brighton.

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Arsenal are ‘pushing hard’ to sign Tottenham defender Cristian Romero ahead of transfer frontrunners Atletico Madrid, according to reports.

Romero, who started Argentina’s World Cup final defeat to Spain, has made it clear he wants to leave Spurs this summer after five years at the club.

The 28-year-old has been a mainstay in the Tottenham team since his £42.5m move from Atalanta in 2022, making 123 appearances in the Premier League alone.

Romero is keen to leave after experiencing back-to-back relegation battles at Tottenham and has reportedly approved a move to La Liga giants Atletico Madrid.

But the Argentine has also attracted interest from Tottenham’s London rivals Arsenal and Chelsea and Serie A side AC Milan.

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Premier League champions Arsenal are keen to sign a new centre-back after losing William Saliba to a worrying injury and have this week been ‘pushing hard’ for Romero, according to reports in Italy.

But club-to-club relations between Arsenal and Tottenham are understandably tense so Atletico are still believed to be ‘leading the transfer race’.

Saliba has established himself as one of the best defenders in the world in recent years and helped Arsenal win the Premier League and reach the Champions League final last season.

But Arsenal will have to make do without the Frenchman for an ‘extended period’ after he aggravated a back injury during the World Cup.

‘William Saliba has returned to us from World Cup duty, where he played an integral role in France reaching the semi-finals of the competition,’ Arsenal said in a statement.

‘Subsequent specialist reviews on William’s return to London this week have confirmed that he has suffered a back injury which will require a period of rehabilitation.

‘Extensive assessments have concluded that surgery is not recommended, but William should now commence a managed recovery programme.

‘William’s rehabilitation will commence immediately, with continual management of his injury, and he is expected to be out of action for an extended period.

‘Everyone is fully focused on supporting William to ensure he is back to full fitness as soon as possible.’

Arsenal have also expressed interest in Aston Villa’s Ezri Konsa as they look for defensive cover, while they were linked with John Stones before the Manchester City legend joined Inter Milan.

The Gunners have had a subdued start to the summer transfer window, so far only bringing in winger Christos Tzolis and back-up goalkeeper Illan Meslier.

However, Arsenal are set to sign Bruno Guimaraes in a £75m deal from Newcastle United and remain interested in a stunning swoop for Real Madrid and Brazil icon Vinicius Junior.

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Manchester United and Liverpool have been offered the chance to sign Tottenham Hotspur defender Djed Spence, according to reports.

Spence has spent just two full seasons at Spurs having initially struggled to secure a first-team role following his £20 million move from Championship side Middlesbrough four years ago.

The 25-year-old was one of England’s standout performers at the World Cup this summer and showed impressive versatility as he played on both the right and left side of Thomas Tuchel’s defence.

Both United and Liverpool are in the market for new full-backs this summer and according to talkSPORT’s Ben Jacobs, the Premier League duo have been given the opportunity to sign Spence before the end of the transfer window.

‘Djed Spence is a name on the player’s side who has been offered around,’ Jacobs said on The United Stand.

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‘He’s been offered to Liverpool, he’s been offered to Manchester United.

‘I’m not aware yet whether the clubs are interested in that deal but Spence wants to go somewhere and play week in, week out, whether it’s on the right or the left, so his future more broadly might be one to watch.

‘I don’t think Manchester United have said ‘we want Djed Spence’, but the Spence side are offering him around to Premier League clubs because Pedro Porro on one side and Destiny Udogie on the other, and after a very positive World Cup, Spence can’t guarantee he’s going to be playing every week at Tottenham Hotspur.

‘That’s why he’s assessing his options, even though Roberto De Zerbi would love to keep him as a squad player.’

Spurs are understood to be open to selling Spence this summer if they receive an offer in the region of £35m.

Spence has also attracted interest from Inter and the Serie A club have already held talks over a deal for the defender.

But speaking last week, Spurs manager Roberto De Zerbi stressed that he is keen for Spence to stay at the club but said he would not stand in the way of any player if they want to move.

‘I repeat what I said to Djed, and to Lucas [Bergvall],’ De Zerbi said.

‘I would like you to stay if you want to stay. If you don’t want to stay, if you want to leave, then you have to leave.’

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Monaco and USA striker Folarin Balogun has been offered to Tottenham Hotspur this summer, according to reports.

The 25-year-old has spent three seasons at Monaco after signing from boyhood club Arsenal in 2023 in a deal worth £35m.

The forward never really broke through with the Gunners, scoring twice in 10 first team appearances, but shone on a loan spell with French side Reims in 2022/23, where he scored 22 times in 39 outings.

Monaco snapped him up after that breakout campaign and, although he has not replicated that goal-scoring form since, he did net 19 times last season in all competitions.

Balogun has also become a leading light for USA and was at the centre of international controversy at the World Cup this summer.

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The New York-born striker had scored three goals at the tournament but was shown a red card in the last 32 meeting with Bosnia-Herzegovina, meaning he was set to be suspended for the last 16 clash with Belgium.

His ban was then suspended after political interference from the US government and he played in the defeat to the Belgians amid huge backlash to FIFA’s decision.

With that controversy behind him, Balogun’s club future is now the subject of speculation, with the possibility of a return to the Premier League on the cards.

The Sun report that the USA star has been offered to Spurs via intermediaries, suggesting Monaco are open to letting him go for a ‘competitive’ price.

Tottenham are in the market for a new striker as they look to continue their summer spending, with Chelsea’s Nicolas Jackson also believed to be on their radar.

The Senegal international would undoubtedly be a more expensive acquisition as Chelsea value him at £65m.

Aston Villa are also interested in the forward who was on loan at Bayern Munich last season, with Unai Emery keen on reuniting with Jackson, who he managed at Villarreal.

The Villains appear to be leading the chase for his signature, having cashed in on Morgan Rogers who has moved to Chelsea for £117m.

Spurs boss Roberto De Zerbi currently has Richarlison as one of his options up front, but is uncertain how long that will remain the case.

‘I don’t know because I like him as a player and as a guy,” De Zerbi said of the Brazilian last week. ‘He’s unbelievable in terms of attitude and behaviour. But, in the end, we have to respect what he wants to do.

‘I don’t know [if he wants to leave]. I didn’t understand well because sometimes he says he wants to stay, sometimes he wants to leave. We have to speak anyway. There is not any problem. He’s a lovely guy.

‘For me, he’s still an important player because it’s not easy to find another striker like Richarlison. Richarlison scores goals. He knows the way. With any new striker, we don’t know.

‘He scored 12 goals last season, not because of luck but because he knows how to score.

‘All of us love him, the team-mates, the club and the staff because he works hard every day, seriously every day, and we can’t say anything about him on the pitch.’

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