Football London

Djed Spence is closing in on a move to Inter Milan from Tottenham Hotspur this summer

Djed Spence has sent a farewell message to Tottenham Hotspur fans. Spence has sealed a move to Inter Milan on a permanent deal.

Spence's move to Inter has gone through, with the understanding that a £27million (€31.5million) deal was agreed between both clubs.

Spence first joined Spurs in the summer of 2022 from Middlesbrough in a deal worth around £20million, including add-ons, and the England international is now set to leave the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium just four years later.

Ahead of his move being announced, Spence posted a video on his social media looking back on his time in north London and thanking the fans and the club.

The video includes the caption 'Memories of a lifetime', and features a compilation of Spence's best moments in a Tottenham shirt during his four years at the club.

Spence's video ends with a 'thank you' across the screen. Xavi Simons commented on Spence's post on Instagram, posting three crying eye emojis and writing "my boyyy".

Spurs boss Roberto De Zerbi previously delivered a message about players who do not wish to be at the club, with the policy being clearly set for the summer.

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"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'," De Zerbi said.

"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."

He added: "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."

Here are our first half Tottenham Hotspur player ratings from their friendly match against Hoffenheim on Saturday afternoon

Tottenham lead Hoffenheim 1-0 in front of their supporters at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday and here are our first half player ratings.

Spurs are playing the first of two games against the Bundesliga side with the remaining group of Lilywhites players to face the rest of the German side's squad on Sunday in a behind-closed-doors match at Hotspur Way. Roberto De Zerbi is going to pick two strong starting XIs for each match with youngsters on the bench.

The Tottenham boss handed debuts in front of the stadium crowd to £100million man Sandro Tonali and £52million centre-back Jan Paul van Hecke as well as Marcos Senesi. There was no Cristian Romero and Djed Spence after their moves to Atletico Madrid and Inter Milan respectively.

World Cup winner Pedro Porro received a presentation from former Tottenham striker Fernando Llorente in front of the crowd before kick-off.

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Spurs opened the scoring on 35 minutes. Tonali took a lovely touch to beat his man and then surged forward before flicking the ball out wide to fellow summer arrival Andy Robertson and the Scot's first-time ball was smashed home by Richarlison.

Here are our first half Spurs player ratings:

Antonin Kinsky

Didn't have much to do until a save from Daghim late in the half. 6

Archie Gray

Captain once again in pre-season and did little wrong at right-back. 6

Jan Paul van Hecke

A couple of strong interceptions at the back in the first half. Going to be a talker in the backline. 7

Marcos Senesi

A little behind Van Hecke in his sharpness and some of his passing showed that, with a little hesitation at times, but still plenty of good little moments. 6

Andy Robertson

Curled in some dangerous early balls in the first period of the half and then did so again with his first-time ball to Richarlison to score. 8

Sandro Tonali

Showed that he's going to be the man who dictates the tempo. Took a lovely touch to beat his man and surge up the pitch before playing in Robertson for Richarlison's goal. 8

Lucas Bergvall

Really strong half, with plenty of good touches and turns in the midfield. Had a low shot on the run saved by Baumann. 8

Mikey Moore

A bright half with a couple of dangerous runs and balls across the face of goal, one of which Richarlison and Tel were inches away from. 7

Conor Gallagher

A trademark busy first half without impacting play too much. Kept coming out to the left rather than staying central. 6

Mathys Tel

Plenty of runs down the left without quite having the cutting edge. 6

Richarlison

Welcome to our Tottenham Hotspur transfer live blog. Spurs have already spent £237million on players with more signings on the way.

Roberto De Zerbi has splashed big on Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes, bolstering the midfield with £185m worth of talent. Jan Paul van Hecke was the next to sign a deal in north London, joining from Brighton for a fee of £52m.

The Spurs boss also dipped into the free agency market to acquire Martin Dubravka, Marcos Senesi and Andy Robertson. In terms of departures, Djed Spence is edging closer to moving away from the club and Cristian Romero has said his final goodbyes.

Tottenham continue to be linked with Manchester City's Savinho and Liverpool striker Cody Gakpo, with Victor Osimhen and Igor Matanovic also connected with moves to north London.

Here's the Spurs team that Roberto De Zerbi has selected to face Hoffenheim in front of the fans at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

Roberto De Zerbi has named his Spurs team to face Hoffenheim in their first game of the season in front of the supporters at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Spurs welcome Bundesliga side Hoffenheim in two friendly encounters this weekend. First up at the stadium on Saturday afternoon (3pm kick-off) and then the remaining group of Lilywhites players will face the rest of the German side's squad on Sunday at Hotspur Way in a behind-closed-doors match with a midday start.

The Tottenham boss has handed debuts in front of the stadium crowd to £100million man Sandro Tonali and £52million centre-back Jan Paul van Hecke as well as Marcos Senesi.

The £85million arrival Mateus Fernandes is not in the squad but could well be part of the other starting XI that will face Hoffenheim on Sunday at the training ground.

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Up top, Richarlison and Mathys Tel have had plenty of minutes in pre-season and continue that together against the German side.

Cristian Romero and Djed Spence are off to Atletico Madrid and Inter Milan respectively while World Cup winner Pedro Porro is likely to be gradually brought back in, with Archie Gray continuing at right-back and captaining the side once again.

Here's the Tottenham team De Zerbi has selected:

Why the writing was on the wall for Cristian Romero to leave Spurs: “The writing was on the wall for him. Towards the end of last season there were lots of rumblings and it’s probably best for him to leave.“He had definitely run his course at the club. To me it looked like he wanted to get out.“It was always a case of when he was going to leave rather than if.“Spurs have signed [Jan Paul] Van Hecke and they’ve still got good depth at that position.“Signing Micky Van de Ven to a new contract was big. So overall it’s been a decent window for Spurs.”His surprise at Djed Spence moving to Inter Milan: “It’s a great move for Djed.“He’s a player that I really like and it’s a shame he’s had to move on.“He had some really really good games but then he had his fair share of difficult moments at the club too.“But he proved people wrong in the World Cup when he played. He did well across the tournament and he’s earned himself a great move, playing in the Champions League.“For all concerned it’s a decent move.”Why he sees Cody Gakpo as a good fit for Spurs: “Spurs would be perfect for him.“He’d do really well there. He would go straight into the squad and be one of the main men.“Going forward has obviously been a problem for Spurs the last couple of seasons. Certainly last year they missed a lot of creativity and a lot of goals.“Gakpo would bring something different to the team for sure.”

Seven Tottenham stars respond to Cristian Romero exit after emotional farewell  Football London

The defender has long been looking for a move away from Tottenham, and having returned from the World Cup, the Argentinian's exit has now been confirmed as he joins Atletico Madrid

Tottenham Hotspur have confirmed Cristian Romero's departure to Atletico Madrid.

Spurs' now-former captain leaves for a reported £34million and the 28-year-old has signed a five-year contract with the Spanish side. It comes just days after the Argentina international was controversially linked with a move to Arsenal during this summer transfer window.

It was said that Romero would be keen to join the Premier League champions, but Spurs were determined not to sell to their north London rivals. Atletico have described Romero as "a very physical footballer" who is "quick in anticipation" and has "a lot of leadership on the pitch".

The statement Spurs have shared on their website is barely 130 words long. Their social media post announcing the agreement features just 20.

Romero has been with the club since joining on an initial loan from Atalanta in 2021. He has played 156 times for Spurs, scoring 13 goals and providing seven assists.

The defender has had extra time off during pre-season after helping Argentina to reach the World Cup final in North America. Romero had, however, made it clear that he wanted to move on this summer, with head coach Roberto De Zerbi acknowledging as much when speaking to football.london.

Romero posted a goodbye video to fans on Friday evening, where he said: "Today, I say goodbye to a place that, for five seasons, was much more than a club. It was my home, my challenge and the place where my family and I built such an important part of our lives.

"I leave with a heart full of memories and enormous pride for everything we lived and achieved together.

"When I arrived, I had a clear dream: to leave my name in this club's history. I knew the only way was through hard work, sacrifice and achieving something that had seemed so difficult for so long: lifting a trophy again. And we did it.

"The journey wasn't perfect, but I don't want that to define my goodbye. I choose to remember the happy moments, the lessons, the people who stood by me and, above all, the love I received during these five years.

"Thank you to everyone at the club who shared this journey with me. Coaches, teammates, staff and every person working behind the scenes, you are all part of my story and have a place in my heart.

"And to the fans: Thank you for loving me, respecting me and making me feel like one of you from day one. Thank you for every hug, every song, every flag, every applause and for always being there.

"I know I wasn't perfect, but one thing gives me peace: I always gave everything. I defended this shirt with pride and with all my heart.

"THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING I'm leaving the club, but a part of my heart will always remain here. Once I was one of you. Today, I leave as one of you forever. With all my love and respect. Thank you for everything. And goodbye @spursofficial."

Here's the Tottenham Hotspur team that we reckon Roberto De Zerbi will select to face Hoffenheim in the first of two friendlies against the German side

Roberto De Zerbi must start getting his Tottenham players blending together in their final friendlies before the Premier League season kicks off next weekend at Brentford.

Spurs host Bundesliga outfit Hoffenheim in two friendly matches this weekend. The first comes at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday afternoon (3pm kick-off) and then the remaining group of Lilywhites players will face the rest of the German side's squad on Sunday at Hotspur Way in a behind-closed-doors match with a midday start.

A core group of De Zerbi's players have got more minutes this summer that the rest in a pre-season which has seen the Italian balance the load management for returning World Cup players and those coming back after a season with serious injuries.

The Tottenham boss will want to hand debuts in front of the stadium crowd to £100million man Sandro Tonali and £52million centre-back Jan Paul van Hecke. All eyes will be on who partners them in midfield and central defence.

De Zerbi will want to get Tonali and £85million arrival Mateus Fernandes to build their partnership ahead of the season but Lucas Bergvall has played more minutes than the Portuguese and could potentially get the nod. At the back, Micky van de Ven is yet play any part in pre-season so new arrivals Marcos Senesi and Andy Robertson could play on the left of the defence, although Ben Davies has played for much of the summer and will be fitter and sharper.

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Ultimately whoever does not play in the stadium match is likely to get a prolonged runout in the second game at Hotspur Way on Sunday, but De Zerbi could look to expose youngsters such as Luca Williams-Barnett and Mikey Moore to some minutes in front of the crowd.

Up top, Richarlison and Mathys Tel have had plenty of minutes in pre-season and are likely to continue that together against the German side.

Cristian Romero and Djed Spence are heading off to Atletico Madrid and Inter Milan respectively and their departures could be announced ahead of the game while World Cup winner Pedro Porro is likely to be gradually brought back in, with Archie Gray potentially continuing at right-back and captaining the side.

Here's the Tottenham team that we reckon De Zerbi could select for Saturday's pre-season game against Hoffenheim:

Tottenham defender Cristian Romero has announced his departure from the club with an emotional message before joining Atletico Madrid

Cristian Romero has issued a heartfelt and lengthy goodbye to Tottenham ahead of his imminent transfer to Atletico Madrid.

The Argentine only signed a new contract last summer when he was made club captain, but a difficult 2025/26 season has seen him opt for a new challenge with the La Liga side paying Spurs €40million (£34m) to sign him.

Despite often dividing the fanbase, his performance in the Europa League final will not be forgotten and his farewell message shows that he certainly cared about the club.

On Friday evening, he wrote on Instagram: "Today, I say goodbye to a place that, for five seasons, was much more than a club. It was my home, my challenge and the place where my family and I built such an important part of our lives.

"I leave with a heart full of memories and enormous pride for everything we lived and achieved together. When I arrived, I had a clear dream: to leave my name in this club’s history. I knew the only way was through hard work, sacrifice and achieving something that had seemed so difficult for so long: lifting a trophy again. **And we did it.**

"The journey wasn’t perfect, but I don’t want that to define my goodbye. I choose to remember the happy moments, the lessons, the people who stood by me and, above all, the love I received during these five years.

"Thank you to everyone at the club who shared this journey with me. Coaches, teammates, staff and every person working behind the scenes you are all part of my story and have a place in my heart.

FOLLOW OUR TOTTENHAM FB PAGE!Latest Spurs news, analysis and much more via our dedicated Facebook page

"And to the fans: Thank you for loving me, respecting me and making me feel like one of you from day one. Thank you for every hug, every song, every flag, every applause and for always being there.

"I know I wasn’t perfect, but one thing gives me peace: I always gave everything. I defended this shirt with pride and with all my heart.

"THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING. I’m leaving the club, but a part of my heart will always remain here. Once I was one of you. Today, I leave as one of you forever. With all my love and respect. Thank you for everything. And goodbye @spursofficial [white heart emoji]."

Spurs have arguably already replaced Romero with Marcos Senesi and Jan Paul van Hecke joining this summer. The former's regular centre-back partner Micky van de Ven has also signed a new long-term contract.

While also selling Djed Spence to Inter Milan, Roberto De Zerbi is currently focused on attacking signings with moves for Manchester City star Savinho and Cody Gakpo of Liverpool being pursued.

Micky van de Ven, Kulusevski, Solanke, Kudus, Maddison - Tottenham injury updates and return dates  Football London