As reported by La Gazzetta dello Sport, Inter have set their eyes on Tottenham Hotspur fullback Djed Spence for their seemingly cursed right flank.
The Nerazzurri simply havenโt had a moment of respite since selling Denzel Dumfries to Real Madrid earlier in the summer.
They had Marco Palestra earmakred as the Dutchmanโs long-term replacement, only for the young Italian to ditch them for a move to Chelsea at the eleventh hour, much to Beppe Marrottaโs chagrin.
They then had a โฌ25m deal agreed with Union Saint-Gilloise for Anan Khalaili, only for the Italian National Olympic Committee to deny him medical approval.
Now, the Inter want Djed Spence, whose stock is skyrocketing by the minute. The 25-year-old was once available to Genoa at โฌ10 million after his half-season loan at the Luigi Ferraris; now his value has tripled that, and he could go for well more than that given how things pan out over the week.
England face Argentina later tonight in the World Cup semi-finals. Spence has quickly become a mainstay in Thomas Tuchelโs line-up, having earned his first cap just last year. His performances at the tournament havenโt gone unnoticed either, and even if the Three Lionsโ journey were to conclude at this stage, Spence will return to club football a wanted man.
Itโs not just his recent performances for England. Spursโ tumultuous fortunes over the past two seasons, bisected by last yearโs Europe League triumph, have shone a positive light on several of their young players, who have garnered plaudits on an individual level. Spence is one of them, having delivered on either flank both in back-four and back-three setups.
Whatโs more, barring outer ligaments that sidelined him for weeks during his loan spell at Leeds United, injuries havenโt troubled him much.
Thatโs where Interโs interest becomes understandable. Hereโs a fullback whose star is on the rise, someone who has already braced the Italian shores and who could do a job at fullback in which setup Cristian Chivu opts for and at either flank. A fee in the region of โฌ30โ40 million will be doable for the reigning Serie A champions, and theyโll be a bit more desperate to get a deal over the line after successive late collapses.
After the campaign he is having, Spence will back himself to play for a bit more than topflight survival next season; vying for the Italian summit would be a good place to start.
Anshuman Joshi | GIFN
