Newcastle United have rejected Tottenham Hotspur’s opening bid of about £80m for midfielder Sandro Tonali, leaving Spurs to turn their attention to other targets after already completing a club-record £52m deal for Brighton defender Jan Paul van Hecke.
The Tonali offer, tabled earlier this week, was swiftly declined by Newcastle, who are in a strong position to demand a fee closer to £100m as Manchester City and Arsenal monitor developments. Newcastle’s chief executive, David Hopkinson, has previously made clear the club will only trade players on “our terms”, a stance reinforced by Tonali’s contract situation: the Italy international is effectively tied to the club until 2030 after signing a new deal during his 10-month betting ban to repay the faith shown in him.
“Newcastle reject Tottenham's £80m bid for Sandro Tonali as Spurs complete £52m Van Hecke signing.”
The rejection comes in a week when Newcastle lost out to Liverpool in the race to sign Spain winger Victor Munoz, but the club have already sold Anthony Gordon to Barcelona. The current market may work in Newcastle’s favour if a bidding war erupts, given the soaring valuations of midfielders elsewhere: Manchester City had a second bid worth about £120m rejected by Nottingham Forest for Elliot Anderson, while relegated West Ham want up to £80m for 21-year-old Mateus Fernandes.
For Spurs, the failed Tonali bid marks a shift in ambition under head coach Roberto De Zerbi, who is a long-time admirer of the 26-year-old. The north London club have never spent more than the £65m they paid for Dominic Solanke, but their opening gambit for Tonali – swiftly rejected – signals a willingness to break that ceiling. Earlier this summer, Spurs completed a £52m deal for Van Hecke, a defender De Zerbi knows well from their time together at Brighton.
“It’s a huge honour to become a Spurs player and when you join such a big club, it’s a dream come true,” Van Hecke said after signing a long-term contract that includes a significant sell-on fee for Brighton. The 26-year-old, who had one year left on his Seagulls deal, made 131 appearances for Brighton and started 36 of 38 Premier League games last season as they finished eighth. He will reunite with De Zerbi and line up alongside Netherlands international teammate Micky van de Ven.
De Zerbi added: “Jan Paul is someone I know very well from our time together at Brighton, and I’m delighted to be working with him again. He is a strong, intelligent centre-back who is brave in possession and plays with personality.”
Spurs have also signed Andy Robertson and Marcos Senesi on free transfers before the window officially opened, while chief executive Vinai Venkatesham vowed “change is happening” after the club narrowly avoided relegation on the final day. Despite their new spending power, the Tonali bid’s swift rejection underlines that Newcastle will not be bullied into selling one of their key assets.