There are transfers you can understand, even if you don’t particularly like them. Then there are transfers that leave you wondering whether Tottenham have made life unnecessarily difficult for themselves.

Djed Spence’s move to Inter Milan feels like the latter.

Spurs agreed a deal worth around £30m for the England international in August, ending a four-year stay in north London. There was logic to the decision. Pedro Porro was established as first-choice right-back, while Destiny Udogie and new signing Andy Robertson offered options on the left.

But Spence had just enjoyed an excellent World Cup with England. He featured in all eight matches as the Three Lions finished third, producing a memorable recovery tackle against Argentina and winning a penalty with a driving run against France. He returned to Spurs with his reputation considerably enhanced.

And perhaps more importantly, he had become incredibly useful.

Spence can play at both right-back and left-back, giving a manager the sort of versatility every squad needs. He made 44 appearances for Spurs last season and had already accumulated 85 appearances for the club.

Nobody is suggesting Spence should have replaced Porro as Tottenham’s automatic starter. That isn’t the point.

The point is that Spurs could have had an England international competing with Porro for the right-back position while also providing cover on the other side. If Porro was injured, suspended or simply out of form, Spence could have stepped in. If the problem was at left-back, he could have moved across.

That is valuable squad depth, particularly over a long Premier League season.

There is a perfectly reasonable argument for the sale. Spurs have plenty of options across both full-back positions, and £30m is significant money. If Spence wanted regular football, Inter could offer a fresh challenge, while Tottenham could reinvest the fee elsewhere.

But squad building isn’t just about having eleven good starters. It is about having reliable options when things inevitably go wrong.

Spence had finally reached that point at Tottenham. He had established himself, earned an England place and shown he could operate on either flank. Roberto De Zerbi had even spoken publicly about wanting him to stay.

With a lacklustre start to the season and Porro out of sorts and short of fitness after the World Cup, having Spence at the club would have been a big boost.

Only time will tell if Tottenham will regret letting him go.