Tottenham Target Sandro Tonali for £100m Transfer

Tottenham’s summer has already been loud. Roberto De Zerbi now wants it deafening.

Spurs have set their sights on Newcastle United midfielder Sandro Tonali, with the Italian emerging as the marquee name at the top of De Zerbi’s wishlist. An enquiry has gone in to the player’s camp and, crucially, the response has been positive.

The problem? The price.

A £100m test of ambition

Newcastle are braced for interest and, privately, accept that Tonali could be sold in this window. But not cheaply. Having paid £61m for him in 2023, they are said to want around £100m to even consider a deal, a fee that would smash Tottenham’s transfer record.

Tonali only signed a new contract in January, tying him to St James’ Park until 2029, with an option for an extra year. That long-term deal hands Newcastle leverage and ensures any buyer pays at the very top end of the market.

For De Zerbi, that is exactly the kind of move that would signal a shift in Tottenham’s standing: a high-calibre, ball-playing midfielder in his prime, ripped from a direct Premier League rival.

Spurs already moving, but De Zerbi wants more

Tottenham have not waited for the window to come to them. They have already secured free transfers for Andy Robertson and Marco Senesi, shoring up both full-back and defensive depth without a fee. A £52m deal for Brighton defender Jan Paul van Hecke is also close, underlining De Zerbi’s intent to reshape the spine of his team.

Those moves, though, are foundations. Tonali would be the statement.

The club’s approach to his representatives shows they are serious, even if no talks have yet taken place with Newcastle themselves. The groundwork is being laid on the player side first: does he want the move, does he buy into De Zerbi’s project, is he willing to push?

The early indication is encouraging for Spurs.

Newcastle’s stance and Howe’s reality

Eddie Howe has never hidden Tonali’s importance to his plans. Since returning from his suspension for breaching gambling rules, the Italian has become a key figure again, driving Newcastle’s midfield with authority and bite.

Last season he delivered three goals and seven assists in 53 appearances across all competitions, numbers that only tell part of the story. His influence on tempo, his aggression off the ball, his ability to knit phases together – those are harder to replace than any stat line.

Back in February, Howe moved quickly to cool talk of an exit.

“Sandro’s very happy here,” he said at the time. “He’s got a great relationship with me and his teammates and he seems really, really happy within himself. I don’t see an issue, but I’m not in control of everything.

“There’s no issue with Sandro. He’s happy and committed. But our best players will always be attracting glances from other clubs – that’s just the reality of football.”

The reality now is harsher. Newcastle’s financial calculations and the size of any potential profit mean they cannot simply ignore a nine-figure offer, no matter how “happy” the player might be.

A crowded field of admirers

Tottenham are not alone in tracking Tonali. Arsenal, Manchester United and Manchester City have all been linked with him in recent windows, and any sign that Newcastle are open to a sale will alert Europe’s elite.

That is the scale of the fight Spurs are walking into. To land Tonali, they will have to outbid rivals on fee, convince him on the project, and match the wages that come with a player of his stature.

Yet this is exactly the kind of battle De Zerbi appears ready to embrace. He has come in demanding more than incremental progress. He wants a side that can impose itself on the ball, dominate the middle third, and compete with the Premier League’s established powers.

Tonali, with his blend of grit and guile, fits that vision perfectly.

The question now is simple: are Tottenham prepared to pay £100m to prove they do too?