Tottenham manager Roberto De Zerbi has made it clear he wants Djed Spence to remain at the club despite growing speculation over the defender’s future.
The 25-year-old England full-back, who signed a long-term contract with Spurs last year, has attracted interest from Inter Milan and Everton. However, De Zerbi insists Spence remains an important part of his plans, even after the club’s major investment in strengthening the squad.
Speaking during Tottenham’s pre-season tour, the Italian manager said he had delivered a straightforward message to Spence and midfielder Lucas Bergvall, telling both they were welcome to stay if they remained committed to the club. He added that players who wanted to move elsewhere should be free to do so.
Spence featured prominently last season, starting 23 of his 30 Premier League appearances as Tottenham narrowly avoided relegation and finished 17th for a second consecutive campaign. Competition at right-back has increased, though, with Spain World Cup winner Pedro Porro continuing to occupy the position. De Zerbi described Porro as the finest right-back in world football.
Tottenham have already spent a club-record £237 million during the current transfer window as they continue an extensive rebuild. The club twice broke its transfer record in successive days by signing midfielder Mateus Fernandes from West Ham for £85 million before completing the £100 million arrival of Sandro Tonali from Newcastle United.
Defender Jan Paul van Hecke has also joined from Brighton in a £52 million deal, while experienced trio Marcos Senesi, Andrew Robertson and Martin Dubravka arrived on free transfers.
Several departures are also expected before the transfer window closes. Club captain Cristian Romero is among the players likely to leave after informing De Zerbi of his intentions earlier in the summer.
Romero faced criticism after returning to Argentina while injured before Tottenham’s final league match of last season, although he recovered in time to feature in the game. De Zerbi defended the centre-back, praising his professionalism throughout their time together and saying he respected the player’s desire to seek a new challenge.
The manager revealed he held individual meetings with members of the squad after taking charge in April, asking each player to be honest about their future. He said those wishing to leave agreed to help the club secure Premier League survival first, after which he would support their ambitions to move on.
Goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario is another player expected to depart after losing his starting place to Antonin Kinsky.
Despite the significant spending already completed, De Zerbi confirmed Tottenham are still planning further additions in attack. Manchester City’s Savinho remains one of the club’s leading targets, while discussions are also progressing with another unnamed forward.
The Spurs boss said the club had completed around 60% of its rebuilding project and hinted that another major signing was still to come. He added that he prefers focusing on one primary transfer target rather than working through multiple alternatives and stressed that increasing the team’s goal output is a priority for the season ahead.
Reflecting on the summer recruitment drive, De Zerbi described himself as having approached the transfer market “like a shark” in pursuit of the players he wanted.