Roberto De Zerbi wants Tottenham full-back duo to stay at club despite exit rumours.
Juventus arrived at Tottenham Hotspur’s door this summer hoping to solve their Andrea Cambiaso problem by raiding North London’s full-back depth. They have left, at least for now, with considerably less than they hoped for.
Football Italia confirmed that Roberto De Zerbi is unwilling to sell either Djed Spence or Destiny Udogie this summer, despite Juventus identifying both as potential Cambiaso replacements should the Italian full-back depart Turin for financial reasons. What Juventus have instead been offered is Radu Dragusin.
Udogie remains “non-negotiable” to the manager’s plans, with De Zerbi having informed the Tottenham board directly that the Italian international’s development since his arrival has been impressive enough to override the considerable financial offers materialising from Fiorentina and Juventus simultaneously. He started all but one match under De Zerbi following the Italian’s April appointment.
EXIT?
Spence’s situation is more nuanced but reaches a similar conclusion. Identified as a potential alternative Cambiaso replacement given his versatility across multiple defensive positions and his prior Serie A experience at Genoa, Spence nonetheless remains firmly within Tottenham’s plans as Pedro Porro’s primary backup.
The arrival of Andy Robertson complicates his pathway to regular starts further, since Robertson now is the senior alternative at left-back ahead of Spence (in the pecking order behind Udogie depending on the selection on matchday). Yet De Zerbi’s refusal to sanction his departure suggests the manager values squad depth and positional flexibility, particularly given the injury record of Udogie.
Speaking of Dragusin, though. De Zerbi utilised him for a grand total of two minutes since his April arrival. Ten Premier League appearances across the entire 2025-26 season, partially explained by injury but also reflecting a manager who simply does not rate him within his defensive structure. So that chapter is that.
Let’s see how things go for Spurs in the rest of the transfer window. One thing we know is we cannot take reports for face value. One second, and kaboom. Everything goes right, or left.