Roberto De Zerbi has revealed that he will not stand in Djed Spence’s way if he wants to leave Tottenham this summer.
Full-back Spence is the subject of transfer interest from Everton and Inter Milan after an impressive World Cup campaign in which he featured in all eight of England’s games and started the 2-1 semi-final defeat by Argentina.
De Zerbi wants Spence, who started 23 Premier League games last season as Spurs narrowly avoided relegation, to stay in north London but is clear that he will not keep players against their will.
The Tottenham boss made a similar statement after Wednesday’s friendly against Sydney FC about Lucas Bergvall, who has expressed his desire to leave and has interest from Nottingham Forest and Newcastle.
"I repeat what I said to Djed, and to Lucas," De Zerbi said. "I would like you to stay if you want to stay. If you don't want to stay, if you want to leave, then you have to leave."
Spence is currently behind Spain’s World Cup winner Pedro Porro in the pecking order in his preferred right-back position at Tottenham.
The ever-dependable Porro started 32 of Spurs’ 38 league games last season and recently signed a bumper new contract.
Spence can also play at left-back, but knows his opportunities there will be limited following the arrival of Andy Robertson on a free transfer as competition for Destiny Udogie.
After spending a club-record £237million on six incomings so far this summer, Spurs are also finalising a number of departures.
Captain Cristian Romero, as well as goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, is widely expected to leave before the end of the transfer window, and De Zerbi admits that a gentleman’s agreement has been in place since he arrived to help Romero depart the club if Spurs avoided relegation.
"At the beginning of my time in April I had, I don't know, one million individual meetings. And the players told me if they are (staying) here (or not)," the Italian said.
"I said: 'Yes, help me to stay up, and then I help you to leave. If you don't help me to stay up, you stay underwater with me’.”
