Football London

Tottenham transfer priority becomes crystal clear as Roberto De Zerbi given £128m verdict  Football London

Tottenham Hotspur have reportedly reached an agreement with Inter Milan

Tottenham Hotspur have reached a reported £26.9m agreement with Inter Milan for England international Djed Spence.

The full-back has a full agreement in place with the Italian side, according to Fabrizio Romano, and is closing in on a move to the Serie A.

Spence will play Champions League football with the Italian outfit next season, pending a medical at the San Siro.

Premier League rivals Liverpool had also been linked with a move for Spence, but look to have missed out on the versatile Spurs full-back.

There's been plenty of debate online about the fee that Spurs are recouping for the the 26-year-old, who impressed with England during the World Cup.

The reported agreement is just £6.9m more than what the club paid Championship side Middlesbrough for Spence back in 2022.

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Spurs boss Roberto De Zerbi previously told football.london that he wanted to keep both Spence and Lucas Bergvall at the club, but wouldn't stand in their way if they wanted to leave.

"What I say to you, is the same I said to Djed and to Lucas - 'I would like you to stay'," he explained. "Not 'I want you to stay'. 'I would like you stay if you want to stay'," he explained.

"'If you don't want to stay, if you want to leave, you have to leave'. If you want to leave, speak with Vinai [Venkatesham] and Johan, because I don't manage the price, the sale.

"I can speak with Vinai and Johan about the best strategy, but I don't decide £30m, £40m, that's not my position and I don't want to change my position. It's tough enough to be a coach and I want to stay as a coach.

"But I respected the player's ideas and opinions or projects. But if they stay, they have to stay following my rules, decisions on the pitch.

"After two games, three games, if one player is not playing and he starts to be sad or not correct with the other players, the coaches, staff, the club, we would make a big, big mistake because we didn't learn from the past season."

Tottenham have made the first move towards improving their forward line for Roberto De Zerbi this summer but Arsenal could stand to benefit from the club's actions

Tottenham's latest transfer move could see Arsenal earn millions. Spurs are said to have instigated proceedings over a €60million (£51.2m) transfer for Folarin Balogun.

Spurs have 'laid the groundwork for discussions' with Monaco over a deal for United States star striker Balogun, per L'Equipe. The 25-year-old started his career with Arsenal before moving to the Ligue 1 side in 2023 for a £34m deal.

The Gunners made a big profit having nurtured Balogun from the age of 10, but Tottenham face filling Arsenal's coffers further should they want to bring the forward back to north London. Then sporting director Edu negotiated a 17.5% sell-on clause in the deal that saw Balogun leave the Emirates, football.london understands.

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Should the US World Cup star, now represented by Jorge Mendes, move this summer, the additional funds Arsenal are set to receive will see the money earned from Balogun become the most the club have received for a player.

While Tottenham would not want to provide too much of a boost to their rivals by signing the forward who scored 19 goals in 45 matches across all competitions last term, they face some stiff competition. Newcastle and a number of sides from Spain have been linked with making a move for the American.

Spurs' senior forward options currently centre around Dominic Solanke, Richarlison and Mathys Tel. Roberto De Zerbi has suggested that the former Bournemouth sharpshooter will remain his first choice.

"I like him as a player, I like him as a guy," he said. "There are not many strikers better than Dom Solanke in the Premier League.

"I think he changes the quality of performances depending on the confidence he feels. First of all, we have to finish the transfer market, and then we speak better about Solanke.

"Anyway, I want to keep him, because I like him as a player, he's complete as a striker. He can attack the space, he can cover the ball, he's able with the ball to link, he's able to score 15-20 goals in the Premier League."

The Italian head coach has admitted there is uncertainty over the future of Richarlison, however. The Brazilian has entered the final year of his contract.

"I don't understand [the situation] well because sometimes he wants to stay, sometimes he wants to leave," De Zerbi explained. "We have to speak anyway. There is not any problem [between us], he is a lovely guy."

"For me, he is still an important player," he added. "It is not easy to find another striker like Richarlison. He scores goals. He knows the way.

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

The potential signing of Folarin Balogun, who recently appointed Jorge Mendes as his agent, could hint at a possible formation change at Tottenham Hotspur.

Dominic Solanke could still be one of the first names on the teamsheet even if Tottenham Hotspur sign Folarin Balogun. The Monaco striker has suddenly been linked with a move to the Lilywhites as Roberto De Zerbi looks to further bolster his backline.

According to French outlet L'Equipe, Spurs are interested in signing Balogun, whose contract at Stade Louis II expires in June 2028. The report claims Tottenham have 'laid the groundwork for discussions' regarding a potential transfer, which could cost in the region of €60 (£51.2m).

It's said that the United States international has attracted interest from Newcastle United, too. The Magpies, as well as other English clubs, have been 'closely monitoring' the situation since the start of the summer.

As it stands, it remains to be seen whether or not the Lilywhites make a move for Balogun, with three senior strikers already on the books. The Hale End graduate would, on paper, pose a threat to the minutes of Solanke, as well as Mathys Tel, who initially featured centrally under De Zerbi before a wave of injuries struck Hotspur Way, and Richarlison.

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But De Zerbi could very well deploy a two-man strike force. At the World Cup in the summer, Mauricio Pochettino paired Balogun with Ricardo Pepi in a group-stage clash against Australia, and it was a roaring success, with the co-hosts waltzing away 2-0 victors.

Commenting on the partnership, the USMNT head coach said: "You see, he can play with another striker, he can play alone. He has an unbelievable capacity to create chances and score goals.

"Yes. Today, he and Flo made an unbelievable show for the team. We are so happy with both," Pochettino added. "They were fantastic."

Balogun has previously played on the wing, too, first during his time in the Arsenal academy, then sparingly across loan spells at Middlesbrough and Stade Reims. He even appeared on the left on one occasion for Monaco last season.

Speaking to The Guardian back in October 2025, Balogun explained how his transition from winger to striker aided his development. The 25-year-old said: "I think movement as a winger is obviously key.

"If you want to score goals, you can’t just always stay out wide. You need to have a variety of runs to attack the middle of the field, where you can score.

"And as I’ve moved to the striker position, I’ve always said that I’m an unorthodox sort of striker, because naturally it wasn’t where I grew up playing, so I would always look to exploit spaces."

Although Solanke may be looking over his shoulder, De Zerbi has suggested that he'll remain his first-choice striker. Speaking recently to football.london, the Tottenham boss said: "I like him as a player, I like him as a guy.

"There are not many strikers better than Dom Solanke in the Premier League. I think he changes the quality of performances depending on the confidence he feels. First of all, we have to finish the transfer market, and then we speak better about Solanke.

"Anyway, I want to keep him, because I like him as a player, he's complete as a striker. He can attack the space, he can cover the ball, he's able with the ball to link, he's able to score 15-20 goals in Premier League."

With Solanke firmly in De Zerbi's plans, the potential signing of Balogun could hint at a change in formation. Or, the Monaco talisman could be viewed as a wide option, and possibly the key to unlocking the Tottenham number 19. Only time will tell...

Roberto De Zerbi wants to further bolster his squad, but higher-ups at Tottenham Hotspur appear to be waiting for a green light from Chelsea before making their next move.

Chelsea could stop Tottenham Hotspur from finally signing Savinho. The Manchester City winger has been heavily linked with a move to the Lilywhites for a while now as Roberto De Zerbi looks to bolster his frontline, but a deal appears to hinge on whether Enzo Maresca can draft a replacement before the transfer window slams shut.

football.london understands that Spurs are interested in signing Savinho, whose contract at the Etihad Stadium expires in June 2031, and they've already held talks with Manchester City over a potential fee. When Pep Guardiola was still in charge, it was said that higher-ups blocked a transfer to Tottenham because they viewed the Brazil international as a promising talent.

But, despite having been given a chance to impress his new boss in pre-season, Savinho has since communicated his desire to leave in pursuit of regular game time. Speaking to reporters earlier this month, Maresca refused to rule out the Brazilian's departure, claiming anything can happen'.

"In this moment, there is many speculation about our players – Savi is not the only one," said the former Chelsea boss. "While Savinho is here, we’re going to try and do our best to help him how he can improve and then unfortunately we said many times with the transfer window open anything can happen we need to be ready for that."

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In the meantime, Manchester City appear to have been preparing for Savinho's potential departure. It is claimed that Maresca has identified Pedro Neto as the ideal replacement for the Brazilian.

But it would take a substantial fee to tempt Chelsea into selling the 26-year-old winger, whom they signed from Wolves for £54m a couple of years ago. Neto was one of the first names on the teamsheet under the Italian at Stamford Bridge, helping the Blues win the Conference League and the Club World Cup.

Romano reckons that there's currently a 'huge gap' in valuations between the two clubs, and it remains to be seen whether a compromise can be reached. If Chelsea take negotiations with Manchester City down to the wire, Tottenham could be left with little to no time to sign Savinho.

Although the transfer window doesn't shut until 11pm on Tuesday, September 1, Alonso, Maresca, and De Zerbi will each want to finalise their squads before the opening weekend of the new Premier League season. Unless Neto requests to leave, though, the Blues will be in no rush to knock down the first domino.

If the Blues dig their heels in, Tottenham could be left in the dark with plenty of work still to be done. Speaking recently on the Men in Blazers YouTube channel, the Spurs boss announced that he and Johan Lange have unfinished business in the transfer market.

De Zerbi said: "In the transfer market, we're not finished yet. We're looking forward to start another season with different ambitions and results. We have to find the condition to build a strong team, than the last seasons to compete again for the top of the table.

"I usually think about the soul, passion, spirit and mentality of the team and then the improvement we can do in the future, because I can't stay with the focus just on the present."

Tottenham dealt fresh Guglielmo Vicario blow after £30m PSG transfer agreement  Football London

Tottenham transfer news LIVE: Balogun bid readied, Osimhen bombshell, Bergvall future latest  Football London

Roberto De Zerbi is looking for up to three transfers to bolster his Tottenham squad in the summer transfer window but must remain within the rules

Roberto De Zerbi wants "two or three" more signings at Tottenham before the transfer window closes on September 1 but the club must fit them within the Premier League rules.

Spurs have slowed down with the new arrivals and it has been six weeks since they splashed out £237million on signings with the last one their most expensive in the club's history as Sandro Tonali joined from from Newcastle for £92.5million plus £7.5million in potential add-ons, which could make him the Lilywhites' first £100million player.

That meant Tottenham broke their transfer record for the second time after getting Mateus Fernandes from West Ham in an £85million deal a week before. Before that duo walked through the door, the north London outfit spent £52million on Brighton centre-back Jan Paul van Hecke with free transfers sealed for Andy Robertson, Marcos Senesi and Martin Dubravka for De Zerbi's squad.

Heading out of the Tottenham exit door have been Manor Solomon to West Ham for £5million plus another £2million in add-ons, Will Lankshear to Middlesbrough in a £20million package and Yang Min-hyeok is set to leave on loan for Belgian side Westerlo.

That all came after Luka Vuskovic was sold to Brighton for £46million with £4million in add-ons and Radu Dragusin headed off to Fiorentina on loan with a £21.4million obligation to buy. Midfielder Alfie Devine joined Preston in a £6million deal and Alejo Veliz left for Brazilian side Bahia for £7.8million.

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Yves Bissouma exited north London when his contract expired while Randal Kolo Muani and Joao Palhinha left at the conclusion of their loan deals.

Tottenham want to make further signings this summer, with Manchester City star Savinho a key target along with others on the wishlist such as Liverpool's Cody Gakpo and another City attacker in Omar Marmoush.

With that in mind, it's time to check the Premier League rules on who can and cannot be registered at the end of the transfer window.

The registration rules state that a club must name a squad with a maximum of 25 senior players containing at most 17 non-homegrown players and the rest homegrown.

A homegrown player is a player who, according to the Premier League rules has "irrespective of nationality or age, been registered with any club affiliated to The Football Association or the Football Association of Wales for a period, continuous or not, of three entire seasons, or 36 months, before his 21st birthday (or the end of the season during which he turns 21)".

Austrian Kevin Danso qualifies as a homegrown player because he was in the youth academies at Reading and MK Dons for years before leaving England at the age of 16 and later returning for a season at Southampton. However Scotland captain Robertson is not, as he was first registered with the English FA only at 20 when he joined Hull.

However, players born on or after January 1, 2005, regardless of where they come from, do not have to be registered in the main 25-man squad and instead go on an under-21s list.

With all the above in mind, Tottenham currently have 20 non-homegrown players over the age of 21, when they are only allowed to have 17. They are Guglielmo Vicario, Antonin Kinsky, Martin Dubravka, Andy Robertson, Pedro Porro, Destiny Udogie, Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven, Marcos Senesi, Jan Paul van Hecke, Kota Takai, Mateus Fernandes, Sandro Tonali, Rodrigo Bentancur, Dejan Kulusevski, Richarlison, Pape Matar Sarr, Mohammed Kudus, Xavi Simons and Wilson Odobert.

They also have eight homegrown players over the age of 21 in Dominic Solanke, Kevin Danso, Brandon Austin, Ben Davies, James Maddison, Conor Gallagher, Djed Spence and Dane Scarlett.

So that means that Spurs currently have 28 senior players in total when they can only register 25. Takai is expected to head out again after returning from loan, while goalkeeper Vicario is likely to be sold with Kinsky the new number one under De Zerbi with support from Dubravka and the homegrown Austin.

That means one other foreign player will have to be sold or loaned out just to fit into the regulations with captain Cristian Romero another linked with the exit door. Another option is that Xavi Simons or Wilson Odobert are left out and not registered until January as both work their way back from anterior cruciate ligament injuries, although the latter might be back before then.

With the homegrown players, Dane Scarlett could depart this summer which frees up a space in that department.

All of that means that Spurs would currently only be able to sign a player aged 21 or under without issues or face the prospect of selling more players this summer, with Djed Spence linked with a move to Inter Milan and Lucas Bergvall to Nottingham Forest and Newcastle, to fit in any new senior arrivals.

Matters would get far more complicated in future seasons if Tottenham qualify for Europe as UEFA's Under-21s list requires players to have been at the club for two years.

For now though, Tottenham can keep signing players aged over 21 but only if others leave. That strict squad limit of 25 senior stars with no more than 17 non-homegrown players must be adhered to.

Lucas Bergvall Tottenham transfer latest as Roberto De Zerbi makes case to youngster  Football London

After an extremely encouraging start to the summer transfer window at Tottenham, the club's incoming and outgoing endeavours appeared to have slowed to a crawl.

Spurs raced out of the traps in the market, splashing £237million on three new signings, including breaking their transfer record twice, while bringing in another three free arrivals. At the same time the club fetched good sums for outgoing players with £50million for Luka Vuskovic, a potential £21.4million package for Radu Dragusin as well as what could be £20million for striker Will Lankshear along with another £16million or so for youngsters Alejo Veliz and Alfie Devine.

Then things seemed to slow down. Spurs have not brought in a new face since agreeing a club record £100million package for Sandro Tonali with Newcastle almost six weeks ago. That is despite Roberto De Zerbi calling for new attacking players and telling football.london that one 'bomba' was close around a fortnight ago during the club's pre-season tour in Sydney.

The exits had also slowed down until winger Manor Solomon left for West Ham on Monday for £5million, plus £2million in add-ons and a 10% future sell-on clause.

The problem with Tottenham's outgoings now appear to be that after making a concerted effort to sell players at the right time for the right price, that right price does not appear to be available for those who actually want out.

Take Cristian Romero for example. The Spurs captain wants to leave this summer with perennial lurkers Atletico Madrid coveting the Argentine but the fee being reported is lower than the £50million Tottenham sold Vuskovic for, despite the 19-year-old having never played a Premier League game, and the £52million the Lilywhites spent on Jan Paul van Hecke in the final year of his contract.

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Romero has three years left on the deal he signed last summer and has just starred at another World Cup. It is perhaps a damning indictment of his availability in recent seasons that he cannot fetch the same amount as a teenager with one season in a major league under his belt or simply points towards the lack of financial muscle of the clubs that want him.

Then there is Djed Spence. The full-back, who turned 26 on Sunday, is at the peak of his career right now. He became a household name this summer thanks to his performances for England at the World Cup and if Spurs were to sell him, with four years left on the contract he signed last year thanks to an option to extend, then surely the north London club could get a hefty fee?

Well no, if the figures being bandied about are the case. Inter Milan have held talks to try to sign the England international for a reported fee of just £25million. That's only £5million more than the original package given to Middlesbrough when Tottenham signed Spence back in 2022.

Whatever happened to England internationals costing more? It's also the case that Spurs' squad is not exactly overflowing with homegrown players.

Liverpool and Everton have also been linked with Spence. The money in the Italian game cannot compete with the Premier League but even then, it's a mind-bogglingly low sum for a defender at the peak of his powers. Inter are looking to replace Denzel Dumfries, who left for Real Madrid after the Spanish club activated his £17.1million release clause, so it's understandable that the Serie A outfit will not want to spend much more but that does not mean Spurs should just walk their player to the door for them.

Spence is believed to be keen on the move to Inter with their status in the game and Champions League football on the menu while his concerns about playing time are likely justified. Pedro Porro has just been named in the World Cup team of the year, Roberto De Zerbi loves him and he contributes far more going forward than Spence. He has also just signed a bumper new contract and has thus far rarely missed a game for Tottenham.

So in a season without European football, and the arrival of Andy Robertson meaning Spence's chances of playing at left-back have also dwindled, there are not going to be many minutes to be had.

So selling Spence does make sense in that regard but only for a high fee. Otherwise Tottenham should just look to have a squad that has two big players in every position rather than just let those disgruntled few leave on the cheap.

De Zerbi made it clear to football.london that he wants to keep Spence and Lucas Bergvall but also won't stand in their way if they desperately want to head out the door.

"What I say to you, is the same I said to Djed and to Lucas - 'I would like you to stay'," he explained. "Not 'I want you to stay'. 'I would like you stay if you want to stay'," he explained.

"'If you don't want to stay, if you want to leave, you have to leave'. If you want to leave, speak with Vinai [Venkatesham] and Johan, because I don't manage the price, the sale. I can speak with Vinai and Johan about the best strategy, but I don't decide £30m, £40m, that's not my position and I don't want to change my position. It's tough enough to be a coach and I want to stay as a coach.

"But I respected the player's ideas and opinions or projects. But if they stay, they have to stay following my rules, decisions on the pitch. After two games, three games, if one player is not playing and he starts to be sad or not correct with the other players, the coaches, staff, the club, we would make a big, big mistake because we didn't learn from the past season."

There is a knock-on effect for another player if Spence were to leave and that's how it affects Archie Gray. Tottenham would be unlikely to need to sign another right-back because the 20-year-old can play there, as he did for Leeds in much of his breakthrough senior season at Elland Road and occasionally for Spurs.

De Zerbi really likes Gray and has made him captain throughout pre-season because he believes in his abilities as a player and as a leader. Gray's versatility gives him a leg up on Bergvall in the battle for minutes but it is also the biggest hurdle he faces. That's because he wants to develop as a midfielder yet is in danger of becoming a jack of all trades rather than a master of the only one he wants.

That was Bergvall's biggest frustration last season, that he rarely trained as a number eight let alone played as one, and Gray is in a similar boat.

De Zerbi recognises the problem of not specialising but also admits Gray can help the team in other areas even if he's not delighted about it.

"Last season I said he is the future of the club but also the present. He is important for us because he can cover two or three positions on the pitch," said the Italian. "He doesn't love too much to play right-back, but I think to be a captain you have to think first for the group, team, club and then yourself. It was something more to give him because he deserves to be important for this club, even if he plays in different positions even if not in the first XI. It's important. Like Bergvall because for Lucas I have the same opinion, the same idea."

He added: "It's lucky for me when you have these type of players who are able to play in different positions. Okay, it's important for him to fix one position, one favourite position but at the end, he has to be open to cover different positions on the pitch. He can play as a right back, as a left back, as a midfielder. Nothing changes for smart players.

"A smart player, I think, is improving in the knowledge on the pitch, because changing position, you change body shape, you change direction when you receive the ball and when you give the ball. But he's an important player for me, even if he can play in different positions."

The weeks ahead will show what the immediate future holds for both Spence and Gray and just how much arrives in the Tottenham transfer coffers to help bring more faces through the door.