Tottenham’s sale of Djed Spence has left Roberto De Zerbi with a genuine problem to address before the window shuts. Even after a productive summer of incomings, losing Spence has exposed a thin spot at right-back, especially in terms of cover for Pedro Porro. The England international’s £30m switch to Inter Milan wraps up a four-year Tottenham spell that had its share of ups and downs — including multiple loan spells — before he finally nailed down a regular role in the squad. Spurs did build in some protection for the future, negotiating a 10% sell-on clause into the deal.
What made Spence so valuable was his adaptability — a natural right-back who could also do a job on the left, with the pace and recovery speed to cover plenty of ground defensively. Replacing that kind of flexibility won’t be straightforward. Porro remains the clear first-choice on the right, prized for his crossing and attacking output, but Tottenham don’t currently have another senior specialist ready to deputize for him. Archie Gray could technically fill in, having played across the back line before, but he’s primarily earmarked as a midfielder and is likely to be competing for minutes in that area instead — meaning leaning on him as Porro’s understudy isn’t an ideal fix.
The picture looks healthier on the left, where Destiny Udogie, Andy Robertson, Souza and Ben Davies give De Zerbi plenty of options, even if Robertson and Davies are both in the twilight of their careers and will need careful rotation. The absence of European football this season also eases the squad-size pressure somewhat, since there are fewer fixtures to manage. Still, going into a season of Premier League, FA Cup and Carabao Cup action with Porro as the only recognized senior option on the right carries real risk — an injury, suspension or dip in form could leave Spurs badly exposed.
That’s where Nottingham Forest’s Neco Williams comes in as a possible answer. Per BBC reporter Sami Mokbel, Tottenham have held preliminary discussions about the 25-year-old, though Forest are said to have no interest in selling and are instead working on tying him down to improved terms. Williams only signed a four-year deal in July 2025 that runs to 2029, giving Forest significant leverage — meaning any serious Spurs approach would likely face real resistance.
From a tactical standpoint, though, Williams would tick a lot of boxes for De Zerbi. Right-footed but comfortable on the left, and able to play both full-back and wing-back, he offers exactly the kind of two-way versatility Tottenham lost when Spence departed — useful cover for Porro, a fallback option should Udogie pick up an injury, and a way to manage Robertson and Davies’ workload more carefully across a long campaign.
Complicating things further is how well-established Williams has become at Forest. A product of Liverpool’s academy who joined the City Ground in 2022, he’s grown into one of the club’s most trusted defenders and has even captained the side on occasion — giving Forest little incentive to sanction a late sale, particularly with so little time left in the window and no easy way to replace his positional flexibility. Tottenham may have extra funds freed up from the Spence sale, but there’s no sign yet of a formal bid taking shape; for now, this remains at the exploratory stage.
Ultimately, Tottenham face a decision. Williams has much of what made Spence useful, and could give De Zerbi valuable depth without any real tactical rethink — but Forest’s reluctance to sell means nothing is guaranteed. With the deadline closing in, Spurs will need to decide fast whether their existing options at the back are sufficient, or whether it’s worth pushing hard to turn interest in Williams into an actual deal before the window shuts.
