Manchester United Reject Djed Spence Offer as Inter Milan Seals £30m Deal
Manchester United’s search for a new full-back has taken another twist – and this time, the answer was a firm no.
With Luke Shaw’s recurring fitness problems unsettling the new INEOS regime, United have been scouring the market for cover on the left side of defence and have repeatedly been linked with Lewis Hall. Newcastle United’s hardline stance over the former Chelsea youngster has complicated that plan, pushing the 20-time English champions to explore other options.
One of those was Djed Spence. Briefly, at least.
According to TEAMtalk, Tottenham Hotspur offered the England international to a cluster of Premier League clubs, United among them. Spurs, buoyed by the 26-year-old’s impressive World Cup displays, slapped an asking price of around £45 million on the defender, who can operate on either flank.
United balked. They were not alone.
“A host of Premier League clubs were offered the chance to sign the 26-year-old, including Liverpool, Manchester United, Chelsea, Newcastle United, Aston Villa and Everton. There was interest, but Tottenham‘s initial asking price of around £45million was viewed as too high and no deal materialised,” the report stated.
The stalemate in England opened the door for Italy. Sky Sports now report that Inter Milan have agreed a £30m deal with Tottenham for Spence, with the agreement including a 10 per cent sell-on clause. Inter get their man; Spurs get a solid fee; United are left looking elsewhere.
The numbers tell their own story. Spurs wanted £45m from Premier League rivals but settled for £30m from Serie A. Once again, it underlines how clubs still try to attach a premium when Old Trafford is on the other end of the phone.
For United, the decision to walk away from Spence is part of a broader, more calculated reshaping of the squad under INEOS. The opportunity to sign highly rated Arsenal youngster Myles Lewis-Skelly was also turned down, a move that suggests the hierarchy still believe Lewis Hall can be prised from Newcastle at the right moment and at the right price.
There is another layer to this. Academy prospect Harry Amass is expected to depart, thinning out the long-term options at left-back just as United are trying to build a more sustainable pathway between youth and first team. It adds a touch of urgency to a search that, on the surface, still feels patient.
INEOS have not put all their chips on Hall. Low-cost alternatives are already being lined up: David Raum, Jorge Salinas, Joaquin Seys. None carry the same Premier League profile, but all fit the new owners’ determination to avoid being dragged into inflated auctions.
Spence, meanwhile, heads to San Siro to rebuild his career in a league that has become a haven for English defenders looking for a fresh start. United, having passed on him and Lewis-Skelly, now move deeper into a window where every decision will be measured against one simple question: did they back the right left-back gamble?
