Add This code in functions.php file
class WP_Custom_Nav_Walker extends Walker_Nav_Menu {
public function start_el(&$output, $item, $depth = 0, $args = array (), $id = 0) {
$indent = ( $depth ) ? str_repeat ( "\t", $depth ) : '';
$classes = empty ( $item->classes ) ? array () : (array) $item->classes;
$classes[] = 'menu-item-' . $item->ID;
$class_names = join ( ' ', apply_filters ( 'nav_menu_css_class', array_filter ( $classes ), $item, $args, $depth ) );
$class_names = $class_names ? ' class="' . esc_attr ( $class_names ) . '"' : '';
$id = apply_filters ( 'nav_menu_item_id', 'menu-item-' . $item->ID, $item, $args, $depth );
$id = $id ? ' id="' . esc_attr ( $id ) . '"' : '';
$output .= $indent . '<li' . $id . $class_names . '>';
$atts = array ();
$atts[ 'title' ] = ! empty ( $item->attr_title ) ? $item->attr_title : '';
$atts[ 'target' ] = ! empty ( $item->target ) ? $item->target : '';
$atts[ 'rel' ] = ! empty ( $item->xfn ) ? $item->xfn : '';
$atts[ 'href' ] = ! empty ( $item->url ) ? $item->url : '';
$atts = apply_filters ( 'nav_menu_link_attributes', $atts, $item, $args, $depth );
$attributes="";
foreach ( $atts as $attr => $value ) {
if( ! empty ( $value ) ) {
$value = ( 'href' === $attr ) ? esc_url ( $value ) : esc_attr ( $value );
$attributes .= ' ' . $attr . '="' . $value . '"';
}
}
$item_output = $args->before;
$item_output .= '<a' . $attributes . '>';
/** This filter is documented in wp-includes/post-template.php */
// YOUR ADDED CONTROL STARTS HERE!!
if( $args->link_before === 'span' ) {
$item_output .= '<span content="'.$item->title.'"></span>';
}
$item_output .= apply_filters ( 'the_title', $item->title, $item->ID ) . $args->link_after;
// YOUR ADDED CONTROL ENDS HERE!!
$item_output .= '</a>';
$item_output .= $args->after;
$output .= apply_filters ( 'walker_nav_menu_start_el', $item_output, $item, $depth, $args );
}
}
menu should be like this
wp_nav_menu(
array(
'menu_class' => 'nav-menu',
'container' => '',
'depth' => 1,
'items_wrap' => '%3$s',
'theme_location' => 'footer',
'walker' => new WP_Custom_Nav_Walker(),
'link_before' => 'span',
)
);