It’s been all change in defence for Tottenham Hotspur this summer.
Who can blame them for wanting to mix things up? In recent seasons, Spurs have put in some hideous defensive displays. That stretches back to the days of Ange Postecoglou.
The Lilywhites have agreed to sell Cristian Romero to Atletico Madrid and Djed Spence is also in the process of finalising a move out of England, bound for Inter Milan.
Before then, Roberto De Zerbi had brought in Marcos Senesi, Andy Robertson and Jan Paul van Hecke. It’s been a busy old time for the recruitment team in N17 but they will not stop there.
A replacement for Spence and an upgrade on Pedro Porro may well be sought.
Why Spurs could replace Spence and Porro
It would be safe to say that Spence had something of a topsy-turvy time in north London.
From loan spells with Rennes, Leeds United and Genoa, he finally earned regular game time under Thomas Frank and was subsequently part of England’s World Cup campaign.
He played a key part in that and fortunately for Spurs, it has risen his value. That was crucial for De Zerbi too who clearly did not take much of a liking to the full-back during his first few months in charge.
Indeed, Spence only started three of the last eight matches of the season which was rather damning.
That said, Porro has not been perfection either. Like Spence, he had a phenomenal World Cup. He scored in the semi-finals against France and of course, ended up lifting the trophy just a few days later when Spain defeated Argentina in the final.
As good as the Spaniard was out in North America, he was not totally convincing in 2025/26. To be fair, who was at Spurs?
Porro still played an important part, starting 32 of the 34 Premier League matches he was available for. Yet, for someone who is regarded as an attacking full-back, his numbers were down on previous years.
Pedro Porro at Spurs | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Season | Games | Goals | Assists |
2022/23 | 17 | 3 | 3 |
2023/24 | 37 | 4 | 7 |
2024/25 | 51 | 4 | 9 |
2025/26 | 37 | 2 | 5 |
One factor that Spurs will no doubt like is that the full-back is still only 26. He’s approaching his prime and was arguably in the form of his life in America this summer.
Still, as they look to replace Spence, an upgrade on the pair of them would not go amiss.
The perfect wing-back for Spurs this summer
Porro is unlikely to leave anytime soon but finding a replacement for Spence must now be a priority.
This week, it has been revealed that the England man is set to head to Inter for a fee of around £25m. That feels cheap but it is a good deal for Spurs who saw no future for the defender in De Zerbi’s side.
Nottingham Forest’s Neco Williams is one player who has been considered this summer, while Crystal Palace’s swashbuckling Colombian Daniel Munoz is also on their radar.
That’s according to Spurs insider Paul O’Keefe who revealed on social media on Wednesday that the Lilywhites “like” the 30-year-old with a potential move now being lined up.
Everton have also shown an interest in the Eagles star so it will not be a straightforward pursuit but if the player had a choice between the two, he would surely head to London.
Despite his age, this would be an exceptional signing for Tottenham. Like all of the club’s recruits this summer, he is proven in English football and in the words of Jamie Carragher, he is currently “the best wing-back in the Premier League”.
Why is that the case? Well, very few players in his position are as attacking. Last term, he ranked among the finest 8% of positionally similar players in Europe’s top five leagues for non-penalty goals per 90 minutes and was involved in 0.45 big chances per 90, ranking among the best 9% of full-backs.
In that regard, he is much better than Porro, despite the Spaniard’s attacking ability. The World Cup winner was involved in just 0.19 big chances per 90 minutes and scored just 0.03 non-penalty goals per 90. Creatively, Porro also lagged behind with just 0.16 chances created from open play compared to Munoz’s impressive 0.30. When it comes to Spence, he is also a class above.
Munoz vs Spence in 2025/26 Premier League | ||
|---|---|---|
Stats (per 90 mins) | Munoz | Spence |
Non-penalty goals | 0.15 | 0.00 |
Shots | 1.01 | 0.57 |
Open play big chances created | 0.30 | 0.18 |
Shot-ending carries | 0.49 | 0.61 |
Successful dribbles | 0.07 | 1.44 |
Progressive carries | 0.79 | 2.76 |
Defensive ground duels won | 1.47 | 1.61 |
Tackles & interceptions | 2.14 | 2.07 |
Aerial duels won | 1.65 | 1.01 |
The outgoing Spurs wing-back is an immense dribbler but when it comes to end product and indeed defending, Munoz is more impressive. He’s much stronger in the air and makes more tackles/interceptions too.
Combine that with his output and it is clear to see why Spurs are so interested. In the last five seasons, he has scored 28 goals and 25 assists. Porro, on the other hand, has managed 20 goals and 37 assists. However, it is important to note that he takes most of the club’s set-plays. Most of Munoz’s output comes from open play, making his numbers for a wing-back all the more impressive.
