Everton linked with Tottenham’s Djed Spence amid Inter Milan interest

By Callum Ashford — 14 July 2026 — 4 min read

Spence’s Career Trajectory and Versatility

Djed Spence, a full-back for Tottenham Hotspur and England, is reportedly a target for Everton. Spence began his football career in Fulham’s academy before moving to Middlesbrough for his senior breakthrough. He later had a loan spell with Nottingham Forest and then transferred to Tottenham in a move valued at £20 million. Following this, he experienced further loan periods at Rennes, Leeds United, and Genoa.

Over the past year, Spence has established himself with both his club and national team, earning 13 England caps. His versatility is notable; while 109 of his 265 career club appearances have been at right-back, which is the most frequent position he has played, 32 of his 44 outings for Spurs last season were at left-back. This adaptability could be a key factor for clubs looking to strengthen their defensive options.

Everton has a long-standing need at right-back. Last summer, Kenny Tete was a potential candidate for the position but ultimately signed a new deal with Fulham. Reports indicate that Spence is now on Everton’s radar. The club’s search for a new right-back has been ongoing, with manager David Moyes acknowledging the active search for a year before the winter transfer window closed. Nathan Patterson, despite featuring for Scotland in the World Cup, has seen teammates like Ben Godfrey and Jake O’Brien selected out of position ahead of him, suggesting he may be surplus to requirements.

The departure of long-serving club captain Seamus Coleman after 17 and a half years further increases Everton’s need for new recruits in the defensive line. Spence’s ability to cover multiple defensive roles, including right-back and left-back, makes him an appealing prospect for the club.

Performance Metrics and Inter Milan Interest

According to Comparisonator’s league parameters, Spence averaged 3.08 progressive runs per 90 minutes last season, which was higher than any other player in his position. This placed him ahead of Rayan Ait-Nouri of Manchester City (2.6) and Ferdi Kadioglu of Brighton & Hove Albion (2.48). He also demonstrated significant pace, with a maximum speed of 35.75km/h, only slightly behind Fulham’s Antonee Robinson (35.92km/h).

When comparing Spence to Everton’s current left-back, Vitalii Mykolenko, using Comparisonator’s Me2Others tool, Mykolenko scores higher in overall performance with 219 Artificial Intelligence points compared to Spence’s 174 across 378 parameters. However, Spence shows dominance offensively, scoring 24.1 compared to Mykolenko’s minus 1.52, and physically (311 to 293). Mykolenko, conversely, leads in defensive metrics (95.72 to 52.44), duels (49.86 to 44.39), and passing (69.57 to 48.36).

Further breakdown of their respective displays reveals specific strengths. In physical attributes, Mykolenko covers a greater distance per 90 minutes (9.333km to 8.654km), but Spence produces more sprints (20.91 to 17.57). Offensively, Spence excels with more shots (0.47 to 0.19), shots on target (0.24 to 0.06), dribbles (2.65 to 0.91), and successful dribbles (1.52 to 0.47).

Defensively, Mykolenko has higher figures for ball recoveries (8.26 to 6.49), interceptions (4.05 to 3.32), and clearances (2.2 to 1.52). In passing, the Everton player also shows higher numbers for passes (35.64 to 35.15), successful passes (28.53 to 28.23), crosses (2.45 to 1.94), and successful crosses (0.99 to 0.52). In duels, Spence contests more (16.15 to 13.52) and wins more (7.52 to 6.86), but Mykolenko has a slightly higher percentage won (51% to 47%).

Meanwhile, Inter Milan is also reportedly interested in a summer deal for Spence. The Serie A club is looking for a replacement for Denzel Dumfries and views Spence as a potential wing-back option. Inter, the reigning Serie A champions and participants in the Champions League next season, could offer Spence the opportunity to compete for a league title and feature regularly in elite European competition. Spence spent the 2023-24 season on loan in the Italian top-flight with Genoa, making a return to the league a possibility if Inter pursues the transfer.

Spence’s performances for England in the recent World Cup, where he featured in six matches, have drawn attention from various clubs. However, it appears he may not be in the plans of Spurs manager Roberto De Zerbi for the upcoming season. Tottenham has several other options at full-back, including Pedro Porro, Destiny Udogie, Andy Robertson, Micky van de Ven, Ben Davies, and Archie Gray. This suggests that Tottenham may be open to selling Spence, which could lead to more suitors emerging for the player.

Source: liverpoolecho.co.uk